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 Clemons

Carolina Sarassa

Mellody Hobson

Valerie Lies

Ali Velshi

Janet Bodnar

Odette Yousef

Monica Eng

Val Warner

Dorri McWhorter

Meredith Stricker

Charles Duhigg

Neil Stevenson

Bethany McLean

Geoff Brigham

Kelly Grier

Jay Smooth

Molly Wood

Lola Wright

Jenan Mohajir

Cindy Mori

Michael Arndt

Mark Caro

Andee Harris

Kate Grossman

Michal Lev-Ram

Ji Suk Yi

Jessica Yellin

Desiree Rogers

Kate Sullivan

Deborah Douglas

Kavita Shukla

Jessica Grose

Soledad O'Brien

Paris Schutz

Adam Benforado

Ben Johnson

Melissa Clark

Gigi Pritzker

Bob Morgan

Rachel Bronson

Louisa Chu

Andrew Barber

Amanda Seales

Laura Desmond

Terri Hemmert

Anne-Marie Slaughter

Touré

Linda Cohn

Lin Brehmer

Myra Greene

Keisha Howard

Tricia Eck

Jane Harman

Steve Edwards

Dustin Yellin

Poppy Harlow

Katherine Lanpher

Mick Dumke

Jud Snyder

Ally Love

Campbell Brown

Phylicia Rashad

Eve Ewing

Anne Thompson

Maryam Saleh

Dave Holmes

Shannon Heffernan

Anil Dash

Eric Becker

Ana Belaval

Debbie Millman

Sonny Garg

Sandee Kastrul

Bobby Ghosh

Cheryl Corley

David Brancaccio

Jon Greenberg

Kelly Rizzo

Dan Abrams

Heidi Stevens

Nick Turner

Chuck Salter

David Gregory

Barbara Starr

Jessica Malkin

Stephanie Gosk

Linda Lutton

Felicia Lawrence

Laura Washington

Eddie Aruzza

Gretchen Carlson

Francis Slakey

Richard Stengel

Carol Coletta

Peggy Kusinski

Padma Lakshmi

Charles Jenkins

Celeste Headlee

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