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Chicago Ideas is a nonprofit platform built on one core belief

When audiences of every background have the same access to thought leaders and innovative ideas – people have the power to spark change in the world.

Who are our thought leaders? We thought you'd never ask.
Paul "DJ White Shadow" Blair
Luis Ahn
Fawzia Mirza
Ramesh Srinivasan
Margaret Gould Stewart
Tim Ferriss
Shradha Agarwal
Bashir Salahuddin
Radha Agrawal
Edward Norton
Nick Kokonas
Massimo Lepore
Shannon Watts
Colin Powell
Shane Battier
Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot
Dick Costolo
LeVar Burton
Charlamagne Tha God
Jose Antonio Vargas
Janet Comenos
Jamie Metzl
Brandon Boyd
Hillary Sale
Francoise Baylis
Emily Bear
Rahm Emanuel
Helene Gayle
Cedric Alexander
Bing Gordon
Ayana Elizabeth Johnson PhD
Liz Phair
Brian Wallach
Yusef Salaam
David Lynch
Cameron Esposito
Alec Baldwin
Bryan Cranston
Questlove
S.E. Cupp

Chicago Ideas is a nonprofit platform built on one core belief:

When audiences of every background have the same access to thought leaders and innovative ideas – people have the power to spark change in the world.

Who are our thought leaders? We thought you’d never ask.

Jamil Smith
Paris Schutz
Touré
Mats Lederhausen
Carolina  Sarassa
Valerie Lies
Jud Snyder
David Brancaccio
Jon Greenberg
Anne Munition
Cindy Mori
Bobby Ghosh
Linda Lutton
Charles Duhigg
Jane Harman
Tom Brokaw
Kelly Grier
Katherine Lanpher
Maryam Saleh
Laura  Washington
Jay Smooth
Meredith Stricker
Ally Love
Cheryl Corley
Heidi Stevens
Bob Morgan
Odette Yousef
Karen  Jordan
Sandee Kastrul
Chuck Salter
Mick Dumke
Amanda  Seales
Jessica Yellin
Desiree Rogers
Michael Arndt
Janet Bodnar
Monica Eng
Andrew Barber
Eddie  Aruzza
Felicia Lawrence
Robin  Givhan
Lin Brehmer
Ted  Fishman
Val Warner
Stephanie  Gosk
Linda Cohn
Michal Lev-Ram
Andee Harris
Anil Dash
Neil Stevenson
Lola Wright
Brian Babylon
Ali  Velshi
Louisa Chu
Celeste Headlee
Campbell Brown
Gretchen Carlson
Anne-Marie Slaughter
Carol Coletta
Mark Caro
Jason  Henrichs
Terri Hemmert
Jessica Grose
Anne Thompson
Nick  Turner
Mellody Hobson
Peggy  Kusinski
Laura Desmond
Richard Stengel
Sonny  Garg
Kelly Rizzo
Geoff Brigham
Barbara Starr
Eve Ewing
Eric Becker
Phylicia Rashad
Bethany McLean
Padma Lakshmi
Charles Jenkins
Ana Belaval
Jessica Wohl
Tricia Eck
Deborah Douglas
Dave  Holmes
Francis Slakey
Steve Edwards
Dustin Yellin
Kate  Grossman
Jessica  Malkin
David Gregory
Debbie Millman
Kate Sullivan
Cal Fussman
Adam Benforado
Rachel Bronson
Kevin Pang
Poppy Harlow
Soledad O'Brien
Michael Slaby
Gigi  Pritzker
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