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:

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.

About the Organization

About the People

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

Maryam Saleh

Kavita Shukla

Bob Morgan

Janet Bodnar

Shannon Heffernan

Amanda Seales

Eric Becker

Anne-Marie Slaughter

Jenan Mohajir

Bethany McLean

Jason Henrichs

Andrew Barber

Poppy Harlow

Paris Schutz

Charles Duhigg

Mats Lederhausen

Gretchen Carlson

Heidi Stevens

David Brancaccio

Brian Babylon

Michael Slaby

Felicia Lawrence

Kate Grossman

Kelly Leonard

Jessica Clemons

Kelly Grier

Eve Ewing

Linda Lutton

Jon Greenberg

Adam Benforado

Soledad O'Brien

Neil Stevenson

Myra Greene

Cheryl Corley

David Gregory

Touré

Jamil Smith

Rachel Bronson

Dustin Yellin

Cindy Mori

Odette Yousef

Val Warner

Tom Brokaw

Anil Dash

Deborah Douglas

Sandee Kastrul

Tricia Eck

Andee Harris

Chuck Salter

Melissa Clark

Laura Desmond

Jessica Malkin

Carolina Sarassa

Debbie Millman

Mellody Hobson

Celeste Headlee

Molly Wood

Monica Eng

Ted Fishman

Desiree Rogers

Ji Suk Yi

Michal Lev-Ram

Anne Munition

Sonny Garg

Nick Turner

Dan Abrams

Keisha Howard

Gigi Pritzker

Katherine Lanpher

Brandis Friedman

Carol Coletta

Lin Brehmer

Steve Edwards

Phylicia Rashad

Kate Sullivan

Ali Velshi

Mick Dumke

Stephanie Gosk

Jane Harman

Mark Caro

Terri Hemmert

Anne Thompson

Francis Slakey

Dave Holmes

Padma Lakshmi

Michael Arndt

Valerie Lies

Dorri McWhorter

Lola Wright

Kelly Rizzo

Eddie Aruzza

Ben Johnson

Barbara Starr

Kevin Pang

Ally Love

Jessica Yellin

Karen Jordan

Meredith Stricker

Ana Belaval

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Howard Schultz on the State of Our Nation

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