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.

Deborah Douglas

Kate Grossman

Dan Abrams

Anne-Marie Slaughter

Linda Lutton

Neil Stevenson

Cindy Mori

Chuck Salter

Kevin Pang

Tricia Eck

Jessica Malkin

Jessica Yellin

Robin Givhan

Sandee Kastrul

Steve Edwards

Bobby Ghosh

Ted Fishman

Bob Morgan

Cheryl Corley

Jane Harman

Charles Jenkins

Kate Sullivan

Jessica Wohl

Laura Washington

Ji Suk Yi

Meredith Stricker

Katherine Lanpher

Heidi Stevens

Geoff Brigham

Rachel Bronson

Karen Jordan

Dustin Yellin

Val Warner

Shannon Heffernan

Carolina Sarassa

Andee Harris

Michael Slaby

Felicia Lawrence

Lin Brehmer

Valerie Lies

Gigi Pritzker

Charles Duhigg

Tom Brokaw

Sonny Garg

Jessica Clemons

Andrew Barber

Linda Cohn

Laura Desmond

David Gregory

Maryam Saleh

Mats Lederhausen

Dave Holmes

Myra Greene

Padma Lakshmi

Nick Turner

Monica Eng

Soledad O'Brien

Eddie Aruzza

Lola Wright

Jon Greenberg

Jason Henrichs

Jessica Grose

Debbie Millman

Janet Bodnar

Jud Snyder

Phylicia Rashad

Ben Johnson

Eve Ewing

Mark Caro

Odette Yousef

Ally Love

Brandis Friedman

Jamil Smith

Ali Velshi

Kelly Leonard

Peggy Kusinski

Jay Smooth

Stephanie Gosk

Touré

Paris Schutz

Michal Lev-Ram

Mellody Hobson

Keisha Howard

Francis Slakey

Michael Arndt

Gretchen Carlson

Eric Becker

Anne Thompson

Ana Belaval

Amanda Seales

Anne Munition

Molly Wood

Campbell Brown

Richard Stengel

Bethany McLean

Mick Dumke

Kelly Grier

Barbara Starr

Carol Coletta

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