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.

Jessica Malkin

Ally Love

Robin Givhan

Charles Duhigg

Jamil Smith

Myra Greene

Jon Greenberg

Michael Arndt

Kavita Shukla

Richard Stengel

David Brancaccio

Jessica Grose

Tricia Eck

Cheryl Corley

Shannon Heffernan

Laura Washington

Mats Lederhausen

Andrew Barber

Anne Munition

Anne-Marie Slaughter

Odette Yousef

Gigi Pritzker

Desiree Rogers

Jud Snyder

Phylicia Rashad

Sandee Kastrul

Gretchen Carlson

Janet Bodnar

Jenan Mohajir

Kelly Leonard

Mellody Hobson

Andee Harris

Carolina Sarassa

Neil Stevenson

Linda Lutton

Lin Brehmer

Val Warner

Jane Harman

Maryam Saleh

Cindy Mori

Eve Ewing

Barbara Starr

Dan Abrams

Dave Holmes

Charles Jenkins

Eddie Aruzza

Touré

Ben Johnson

Amanda Seales

Dustin Yellin

Mick Dumke

Steve Edwards

Anil Dash

Louisa Chu

Lola Wright

Anne Thompson

Bob Morgan

Meredith Stricker

Kelly Grier

Felicia Lawrence

Nick Turner

Brian Babylon

Celeste Headlee

Ji Suk Yi

Chuck Salter

Poppy Harlow

Terri Hemmert

Jason Henrichs

Francis Slakey

Campbell Brown

Mark Caro

Linda Cohn

Kevin Pang

Dorri McWhorter

Sonny Garg

Molly Wood

Debbie Millman

Stephanie Gosk

Michal Lev-Ram

Eric Becker

Heidi Stevens

Brandis Friedman

Jessica Wohl

Adam Benforado

Ali Velshi

Jay Smooth

Bethany McLean

Keisha Howard

Katherine Lanpher

Rachel Bronson

Carol Coletta

Peggy Kusinski

Paris Schutz

Bobby Ghosh

Kelly Rizzo

Michael Slaby

Geoff Brigham

Karen Jordan

Ted Fishman

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