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.

Jay Smooth

Eddie Aruzza

Jessica Yellin

David Gregory

Adam Benforado

Rachel Bronson

Brian Babylon

Cindy Mori

Tom Brokaw

Michael Arndt

Jane Harman

Francis Slakey

Nick Turner

Linda Cohn

Carol Coletta

Ali Velshi

Ana Belaval

Geoff Brigham

Valerie Lies

Meredith Stricker

Jessica Grose

Ji Suk Yi

Mellody Hobson

Val Warner

Dustin Yellin

Gigi Pritzker

Poppy Harlow

Bobby Ghosh

Stephanie Gosk

Brandis Friedman

Amanda Seales

Ted Fishman

Jessica Wohl

Kelly Grier

Lola Wright

Molly Wood

Odette Yousef

Bob Morgan

Mats Lederhausen

Dorri McWhorter

Jenan Mohajir

Heidi Stevens

Terri Hemmert

Karen Jordan

Michal Lev-Ram

Sonny Garg

Jessica Clemons

Neil Stevenson

Phylicia Rashad

Carolina Sarassa

Eve Ewing

Kate Sullivan

Ally Love

Jamil Smith

Anne-Marie Slaughter

Kate Grossman

Touré

Jessica Malkin

Andrew Barber

Richard Stengel

Debbie Millman

Linda Lutton

Gretchen Carlson

Jason Henrichs

Andee Harris

Anne Thompson

Charles Jenkins

Charles Duhigg

Robin Givhan

Mick Dumke

Ben Johnson

Monica Eng

Deborah Douglas

Barbara Starr

Katherine Lanpher

Campbell Brown

Anil Dash

Jud Snyder

Laura Washington

Padma Lakshmi

David Brancaccio

Janet Bodnar

Kelly Rizzo

Laura Desmond

Eric Becker

Maryam Saleh

Dan Abrams

Peggy Kusinski

Sandee Kastrul

Celeste Headlee

Kevin Pang

Kelly Leonard

Lin Brehmer

Cheryl Corley

Jon Greenberg

Michael Slaby

Mark Caro

Soledad O'Brien

Bethany McLean

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