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.

Kate Grossman

Kate Sullivan

Myra Greene

Deborah Douglas

Jane Harman

Mellody Hobson

Mick Dumke

Andrew Barber

David Gregory

Barbara Starr

Maryam Saleh

Celeste Headlee

Nick Turner

Francis Slakey

Jessica Wohl

Odette Yousef

Kelly Grier

Ji Suk Yi

Kelly Leonard

Ben Johnson

Sonny Garg

Kavita Shukla

David Brancaccio

Lin Brehmer

Brandis Friedman

Charles Jenkins

Paris Schutz

Soledad O'Brien

Louisa Chu

Michael Slaby

Jay Smooth

Amanda Seales

Phylicia Rashad

Melissa Clark

Jamil Smith

Michael Arndt

Jud Snyder

Stephanie Gosk

Jon Greenberg

Bethany McLean

Anil Dash

Ally Love

Robin Givhan

Laura Desmond

Jessica Malkin

Gretchen Carlson

Brian Babylon

Dorri McWhorter

Meredith Stricker

Eddie Aruzza

Carolina Sarassa

Chuck Salter

Eve Ewing

Anne-Marie Slaughter

Charles Duhigg

Peggy Kusinski

Jessica Yellin

Tricia Eck

Jenan Mohajir

Shannon Heffernan

Cheryl Corley

Bob Morgan

Rachel Bronson

Adam Benforado

Michal Lev-Ram

Katherine Lanpher

Geoff Brigham

Monica Eng

Kelly Rizzo

Molly Wood

Mark Caro

Debbie Millman

Touré

Gigi Pritzker

Ted Fishman

Lola Wright

Ali Velshi

Anne Munition

Cindy Mori

Felicia Lawrence

Eric Becker

Anne Thompson

Terri Hemmert

Linda Lutton

Janet Bodnar

Laura Washington

Dave Holmes

Padma Lakshmi

Carol Coletta

Jessica Clemons

Sandee Kastrul

Neil Stevenson

Ana Belaval

Tom Brokaw

Kevin Pang

Desiree Rogers

Linda Cohn

Steve Edwards

Val Warner

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