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.

Cindy Mori

Odette Yousef

Andrew Barber

Katherine Lanpher

Jessica Clemons

Jane Harman

Keisha Howard

Andee Harris

Kelly Grier

Michal Lev-Ram

Kelly Leonard

Carol Coletta

Ji Suk Yi

Kevin Pang

Anne Thompson

Terri Hemmert

Ana Belaval

Gigi Pritzker

Eddie Aruzza

Robin Givhan

Richard Stengel

Kavita Shukla

Kate Sullivan

Dorri McWhorter

Tricia Eck

Neil Stevenson

Phylicia Rashad

Soledad O'Brien

Heidi Stevens

Desiree Rogers

Jessica Malkin

Cheryl Corley

Jessica Wohl

Campbell Brown

Peggy Kusinski

Linda Cohn

Val Warner

Laura Desmond

Bethany McLean

Sandee Kastrul

Mellody Hobson

Jason Henrichs

Karen Jordan

Michael Arndt

Maryam Saleh

Touré

Rachel Bronson

Eric Becker

Valerie Lies

Amanda Seales

Adam Benforado

Monica Eng

Lin Brehmer

Poppy Harlow

Debbie Millman

Kate Grossman

Tom Brokaw

Ted Fishman

Myra Greene

Geoff Brigham

Melissa Clark

Nick Turner

David Gregory

Laura Washington

Dave Holmes

Celeste Headlee

Charles Duhigg

Brian Babylon

Bob Morgan

Mick Dumke

Padma Lakshmi

Jay Smooth

Sonny Garg

Chuck Salter

Kelly Rizzo

Meredith Stricker

Anne Munition

Carolina Sarassa

Charles Jenkins

Steve Edwards

Molly Wood

Barbara Starr

Stephanie Gosk

Mats Lederhausen

Brandis Friedman

Anil Dash

Dan Abrams

Michael Slaby

Dustin Yellin

Paris Schutz

Felicia Lawrence

Jon Greenberg

Ali Velshi

Ben Johnson

Gretchen Carlson

Anne-Marie Slaughter

Jenan Mohajir

Lola Wright

Shannon Heffernan

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