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.

Phylicia Rashad

Terri Hemmert

Touré

Carolina Sarassa

Barbara Starr

Charles Duhigg

Jessica Yellin

Ali Velshi

Brandis Friedman

Eve Ewing

Louisa Chu

Kavita Shukla

Gigi Pritzker

Jud Snyder

Charles Jenkins

Michael Slaby

Jane Harman

Dustin Yellin

Mats Lederhausen

Sandee Kastrul

Amanda Seales

Desiree Rogers

Keisha Howard

Linda Cohn

Anne Munition

Lin Brehmer

Eddie Aruzza

Geoff Brigham

Jessica Grose

Monica Eng

Bobby Ghosh

Cheryl Corley

Ally Love

Sonny Garg

Tricia Eck

Ted Fishman

Steve Edwards

Adam Benforado

Maryam Saleh

Jessica Malkin

Paris Schutz

David Brancaccio

Cindy Mori

Jenan Mohajir

Poppy Harlow

Odette Yousef

Karen Jordan

Stephanie Gosk

Eric Becker

Meredith Stricker

Gretchen Carlson

Mellody Hobson

Jessica Wohl

David Gregory

Shannon Heffernan

Jamil Smith

Laura Washington

Celeste Headlee

Kelly Leonard

Carol Coletta

Anne-Marie Slaughter

Mark Caro

Kelly Grier

Rachel Bronson

Andrew Barber

Jessica Clemons

Heidi Stevens

Brian Babylon

Mick Dumke

Kelly Rizzo

Molly Wood

Laura Desmond

Ji Suk Yi

Chuck Salter

Felicia Lawrence

Jon Greenberg

Dan Abrams

Kevin Pang

Kate Sullivan

Kate Grossman

Anil Dash

Ana Belaval

Janet Bodnar

Michael Arndt

Debbie Millman

Dave Holmes

Valerie Lies

Linda Lutton

Richard Stengel

Padma Lakshmi

Michal Lev-Ram

Jay Smooth

Anne Thompson

Campbell Brown

Deborah Douglas

Jason Henrichs

Dorri McWhorter

Myra Greene

Bob Morgan

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