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.

Brian Babylon

Laura Washington

Odette Yousef

Jessica Clemons

Lin Brehmer

David Gregory

Jessica Yellin

Debbie Millman

Jamil Smith

Anil Dash

Kelly Grier

Shannon Heffernan

Bethany McLean

Kelly Rizzo

Jessica Malkin

Campbell Brown

Dave Holmes

Eve Ewing

Barbara Starr

Valerie Lies

Desiree Rogers

Jason Henrichs

Cindy Mori

Gigi Pritzker

Rachel Bronson

Celeste Headlee

Jud Snyder

Anne-Marie Slaughter

Ali Velshi

Dorri McWhorter

Lola Wright

Tom Brokaw

Steve Edwards

Stephanie Gosk

Ana Belaval

Ted Fishman

Val Warner

Karen Jordan

Anne Thompson

Jay Smooth

Kelly Leonard

Carolina Sarassa

Kavita Shukla

Jon Greenberg

Jenan Mohajir

Jane Harman

Sonny Garg

Mellody Hobson

Eddie Aruzza

Tricia Eck

Robin Givhan

Nick Turner

Francis Slakey

Melissa Clark

Charles Jenkins

Geoff Brigham

Andee Harris

Janet Bodnar

Michael Slaby

Kate Sullivan

Sandee Kastrul

Padma Lakshmi

Michael Arndt

Bob Morgan

Terri Hemmert

Katherine Lanpher

Kate Grossman

Kevin Pang

Ally Love

Carol Coletta

Molly Wood

Deborah Douglas

Laura Desmond

Soledad O'Brien

Ben Johnson

Monica Eng

Heidi Stevens

Jessica Grose

Andrew Barber

Maryam Saleh

Touré

Eric Becker

Peggy Kusinski

Keisha Howard

Neil Stevenson

Chuck Salter

Bobby Ghosh

Cheryl Corley

Poppy Harlow

Richard Stengel

Ji Suk Yi

Felicia Lawrence

Dustin Yellin

David Brancaccio

Mats Lederhausen

Dan Abrams

Michal Lev-Ram

Myra Greene

Charles Duhigg

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