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.

Peggy Kusinski

Andee Harris

Charles Jenkins

Ji Suk Yi

Dan Abrams

David Brancaccio

Laura Desmond

Poppy Harlow

Neil Stevenson

Kelly Grier

Cheryl Corley

Touré

Tom Brokaw

Heidi Stevens

Steve Edwards

Debbie Millman

Gigi Pritzker

Kevin Pang

Rachel Bronson

Robin Givhan

Anne-Marie Slaughter

Eve Ewing

Charles Duhigg

Celeste Headlee

Mick Dumke

Barbara Starr

Molly Wood

Janet Bodnar

Phylicia Rashad

Stephanie Gosk

Keisha Howard

Melissa Clark

Bob Morgan

Jason Henrichs

Gretchen Carlson

Lin Brehmer

Carolina Sarassa

Eddie Aruzza

David Gregory

Kelly Leonard

Jon Greenberg

Mark Caro

Brandis Friedman

Jamil Smith

Anil Dash

Karen Jordan

Richard Stengel

Ally Love

Brian Babylon

Michal Lev-Ram

Michael Slaby

Ben Johnson

Soledad O'Brien

Ted Fishman

Linda Cohn

Deborah Douglas

Ali Velshi

Desiree Rogers

Valerie Lies

Laura Washington

Maryam Saleh

Carol Coletta

Francis Slakey

Lola Wright

Kate Sullivan

Campbell Brown

Jessica Clemons

Nick Turner

Bobby Ghosh

Jessica Wohl

Jay Smooth

Chuck Salter

Myra Greene

Eric Becker

Jessica Yellin

Kate Grossman

Monica Eng

Amanda Seales

Jenan Mohajir

Jessica Malkin

Adam Benforado

Anne Munition

Shannon Heffernan

Dustin Yellin

Sandee Kastrul

Mellody Hobson

Bethany McLean

Val Warner

Padma Lakshmi

Paris Schutz

Jud Snyder

Meredith Stricker

Jane Harman

Kelly Rizzo

Katherine Lanpher

Dorri McWhorter

Dave Holmes

Terri Hemmert

Mats Lederhausen

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The History of Slavery in Objects

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Helene D. Gayle on the History of Chicago's Wealth Gap

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Xavier Ramey Sits Down with Charlamagne Tha God to Talk Black Men & Mental Health

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Howard Schultz on His Potential 2020 Run

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Howard Schultz on the State of Our Nation

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