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.

Cheryl Corley

Katherine Lanpher

Andee Harris

Desiree Rogers

Linda Cohn

Stephanie Gosk

Mick Dumke

Charles Duhigg

Jay Smooth

Peggy Kusinski

Michael Arndt

Ted Fishman

Sandee Kastrul

Campbell Brown

Linda Lutton

Bobby Ghosh

Laura Desmond

Phylicia Rashad

Andrew Barber

Brian Babylon

Ji Suk Yi

Brandis Friedman

Dave Holmes

Richard Stengel

Eve Ewing

Ben Johnson

Laura Washington

Eric Becker

Soledad O'Brien

Paris Schutz

Jud Snyder

Michael Slaby

Jessica Wohl

Ali Velshi

Nick Turner

Anne-Marie Slaughter

Jessica Yellin

Gigi Pritzker

Heidi Stevens

Gretchen Carlson

Kavita Shukla

Mats Lederhausen

Touré

Kate Sullivan

Padma Lakshmi

Valerie Lies

Meredith Stricker

Lin Brehmer

Mellody Hobson

Carol Coletta

Tricia Eck

Dorri McWhorter

Jenan Mohajir

Cindy Mori

Francis Slakey

Geoff Brigham

Neil Stevenson

Barbara Starr

Sonny Garg

Terri Hemmert

Val Warner

Myra Greene

David Gregory

Molly Wood

Dan Abrams

Adam Benforado

Jamil Smith

Poppy Harlow

Jessica Malkin

Odette Yousef

Felicia Lawrence

Maryam Saleh

Louisa Chu

Janet Bodnar

Bob Morgan

Shannon Heffernan

Kelly Grier

Steve Edwards

Kelly Leonard

Kevin Pang

Lola Wright

Ally Love

Kate Grossman

Deborah Douglas

Debbie Millman

Ana Belaval

Jane Harman

Michal Lev-Ram

Melissa Clark

Dustin Yellin

Carolina Sarassa

Jason Henrichs

Kelly Rizzo

Chuck Salter

Monica Eng

Amanda Seales

Karen Jordan

David Brancaccio

Charles Jenkins

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