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.

Terri Hemmert

Lin Brehmer

Val Warner

Mick Dumke

Molly Wood

Sandee Kastrul

Maryam Saleh

Shannon Heffernan

Mats Lederhausen

Paris Schutz

Kelly Leonard

Robin Givhan

Dave Holmes

Jason Henrichs

Jud Snyder

Michael Slaby

Ted Fishman

David Gregory

Monica Eng

Michael Arndt

Linda Lutton

Carol Coletta

Brian Babylon

Jessica Clemons

Poppy Harlow

Bob Morgan

Eric Becker

Charles Duhigg

Chuck Salter

Rachel Bronson

Bethany McLean

Katherine Lanpher

Ana Belaval

Sonny Garg

Tom Brokaw

Kate Sullivan

David Brancaccio

Mellody Hobson

Kelly Rizzo

Keisha Howard

Gigi Pritzker

Steve Edwards

Karen Jordan

Eddie Aruzza

Debbie Millman

Carolina Sarassa

Dan Abrams

Jon Greenberg

Ji Suk Yi

Campbell Brown

Nick Turner

Heidi Stevens

Jessica Malkin

Brandis Friedman

Anne-Marie Slaughter

Anil Dash

Jay Smooth

Odette Yousef

Kevin Pang

Geoff Brigham

Deborah Douglas

Michal Lev-Ram

Laura Washington

Cheryl Corley

Eve Ewing

Linda Cohn

Myra Greene

Peggy Kusinski

Kelly Grier

Jane Harman

Jamil Smith

Ben Johnson

Laura Desmond

Valerie Lies

Jenan Mohajir

Amanda Seales

Tricia Eck

Adam Benforado

Desiree Rogers

Gretchen Carlson

Francis Slakey

Stephanie Gosk

Anne Munition

Richard Stengel

Dorri McWhorter

Soledad O'Brien

Celeste Headlee

Andrew Barber

Charles Jenkins

Melissa Clark

Dustin Yellin

Barbara Starr

Meredith Stricker

Neil Stevenson

Ali Velshi

Jessica Wohl

Touré

Phylicia Rashad

Kate Grossman

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Howard Schultz on the State of Our Nation

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