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.

Brian Babylon

Charles Jenkins

Linda Lutton

Kate Sullivan

Touré

Rachel Bronson

Lola Wright

Jessica Malkin

Celeste Headlee

Bethany McLean

Kelly Leonard

Val Warner

Cheryl Corley

Keisha Howard

Ali Velshi

Ally Love

Gretchen Carlson

Mellody Hobson

Neil Stevenson

Andee Harris

Paris Schutz

Francis Slakey

Jane Harman

Michael Arndt

Lin Brehmer

Carolina Sarassa

Gigi Pritzker

Louisa Chu

Anil Dash

Monica Eng

Richard Stengel

Ben Johnson

Jon Greenberg

Terri Hemmert

Kate Grossman

David Brancaccio

Shannon Heffernan

Padma Lakshmi

Eddie Aruzza

Debbie Millman

Katherine Lanpher

Campbell Brown

Ji Suk Yi

Barbara Starr

Ted Fishman

Meredith Stricker

Maryam Saleh

Dustin Yellin

Jessica Grose

Desiree Rogers

Cindy Mori

Phylicia Rashad

Mark Caro

Charles Duhigg

Jessica Yellin

Molly Wood

Nick Turner

Sandee Kastrul

Dan Abrams

Mats Lederhausen

Eve Ewing

Anne-Marie Slaughter

Deborah Douglas

Michael Slaby

Dorri McWhorter

Kelly Rizzo

Karen Jordan

Anne Munition

Jessica Wohl

Bob Morgan

Kavita Shukla

Stephanie Gosk

Soledad O'Brien

Chuck Salter

Linda Cohn

Geoff Brigham

Myra Greene

Jenan Mohajir

Jay Smooth

Ana Belaval

Felicia Lawrence

Tricia Eck

Jason Henrichs

Kelly Grier

Carol Coletta

Jessica Clemons

Jud Snyder

Michal Lev-Ram

Anne Thompson

Jamil Smith

Heidi Stevens

Melissa Clark

Valerie Lies

Adam Benforado

Kevin Pang

David Gregory

Laura Washington

Poppy Harlow

Amanda Seales

Bobby Ghosh

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Howard Schultz on the State of Our Nation

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