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.

Stephanie Gosk

Mats Lederhausen

Anne-Marie Slaughter

Melissa Clark

Brian Babylon

Ally Love

Steve Edwards

Poppy Harlow

Francis Slakey

Ali Velshi

Mark Caro

Kavita Shukla

Gretchen Carlson

Felicia Lawrence

Rachel Bronson

David Brancaccio

Lola Wright

Sonny Garg

Sandee Kastrul

Jud Snyder

Linda Cohn

Karen Jordan

Dorri McWhorter

Desiree Rogers

Jessica Malkin

Kelly Leonard

Nick Turner

Kevin Pang

Carolina Sarassa

Anne Thompson

Dan Abrams

Odette Yousef

Paris Schutz

Gigi Pritzker

Anil Dash

Kate Grossman

Keisha Howard

Jenan Mohajir

Carol Coletta

Valerie Lies

Michael Arndt

Touré

Tom Brokaw

Kelly Grier

Eric Becker

Meredith Stricker

Soledad O'Brien

Deborah Douglas

Debbie Millman

Andee Harris

Cindy Mori

Shannon Heffernan

Tricia Eck

Jamil Smith

Maryam Saleh

Kelly Rizzo

Mick Dumke

Jon Greenberg

Charles Duhigg

Jessica Clemons

Val Warner

Charles Jenkins

Campbell Brown

Ana Belaval

Brandis Friedman

Jane Harman

Anne Munition

Bethany McLean

Jessica Wohl

Eve Ewing

Bob Morgan

Jessica Yellin

Cheryl Corley

Barbara Starr

Laura Desmond

Myra Greene

Michael Slaby

David Gregory

Robin Givhan

Andrew Barber

Padma Lakshmi

Jessica Grose

Lin Brehmer

Louisa Chu

Mellody Hobson

Celeste Headlee

Geoff Brigham

Ted Fishman

Terri Hemmert

Ji Suk Yi

Adam Benforado

Eddie Aruzza

Laura Washington

Ben Johnson

Neil Stevenson

Molly Wood

Peggy Kusinski

Kate Sullivan

Jason Henrichs

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