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.

Linda Cohn

Poppy Harlow

Val Warner

Gretchen Carlson

Eric Becker

Sonny Garg

Kelly Rizzo

Kavita Shukla

Touré

Adam Benforado

Desiree Rogers

Jane Harman

Jessica Grose

Kelly Grier

Brandis Friedman

Eddie Aruzza

Neil Stevenson

Katherine Lanpher

Meredith Stricker

Keisha Howard

Sandee Kastrul

Mick Dumke

Deborah Douglas

Kate Grossman

Louisa Chu

Monica Eng

Dustin Yellin

Terri Hemmert

Heidi Stevens

Felicia Lawrence

Kate Sullivan

Mark Caro

Steve Edwards

Jamil Smith

Peggy Kusinski

Debbie Millman

Melissa Clark

Michal Lev-Ram

Myra Greene

Linda Lutton

Tom Brokaw

Bob Morgan

Kevin Pang

Ted Fishman

Jay Smooth

Phylicia Rashad

David Brancaccio

Ally Love

Brian Babylon

Rachel Bronson

Jessica Malkin

Jessica Yellin

Charles Duhigg

Anne Thompson

Dave Holmes

Richard Stengel

Amanda Seales

Jason Henrichs

Ji Suk Yi

Campbell Brown

Lola Wright

Michael Slaby

Eve Ewing

Laura Desmond

Ben Johnson

Geoff Brigham

Robin Givhan

Jessica Clemons

Maryam Saleh

Dan Abrams

Michael Arndt

Karen Jordan

Cheryl Corley

Laura Washington

Soledad O'Brien

Tricia Eck

Stephanie Gosk

Charles Jenkins

David Gregory

Anne-Marie Slaughter

Chuck Salter

Barbara Starr

Bobby Ghosh

Padma Lakshmi

Jon Greenberg

Odette Yousef

Dorri McWhorter

Lin Brehmer

Jud Snyder

Jessica Wohl

Francis Slakey

Ana Belaval

Janet Bodnar

Anil Dash

Mats Lederhausen

Celeste Headlee

Andee Harris

Kelly Leonard

Shannon Heffernan

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Howard Schultz on the State of Our Nation

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