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.

Campbell Brown

Dustin Yellin

Adam Benforado

Laura Washington

Kelly Leonard

Molly Wood

Dave Holmes

Mick Dumke

Jessica Grose

Paris Schutz

Maryam Saleh

Michael Arndt

Dorri McWhorter

Nick Turner

David Brancaccio

Terri Hemmert

Kate Grossman

Soledad O'Brien

Steve Edwards

Tricia Eck

Anil Dash

Jay Smooth

Barbara Starr

Eric Becker

Andee Harris

Bethany McLean

Rachel Bronson

Linda Cohn

Deborah Douglas

Jessica Malkin

Ben Johnson

Shannon Heffernan

Andrew Barber

Kate Sullivan

Ana Belaval

Jamil Smith

Keisha Howard

Kavita Shukla

Jon Greenberg

Valerie Lies

Touré

Jane Harman

Jessica Wohl

Odette Yousef

Tom Brokaw

Anne-Marie Slaughter

Katherine Lanpher

Sandee Kastrul

Carolina Sarassa

Brian Babylon

Peggy Kusinski

Heidi Stevens

Kelly Grier

Geoff Brigham

Melissa Clark

Jason Henrichs

Stephanie Gosk

Bob Morgan

Lin Brehmer

Richard Stengel

Monica Eng

Jessica Clemons

Meredith Stricker

Mats Lederhausen

Mark Caro

Mellody Hobson

Bobby Ghosh

Cheryl Corley

Michal Lev-Ram

Padma Lakshmi

Sonny Garg

Francis Slakey

Chuck Salter

Desiree Rogers

Kelly Rizzo

Kevin Pang

Anne Thompson

Eddie Aruzza

Linda Lutton

Celeste Headlee

David Gregory

Poppy Harlow

Ji Suk Yi

Janet Bodnar

Debbie Millman

Amanda Seales

Val Warner

Cindy Mori

Michael Slaby

Carol Coletta

Jessica Yellin

Dan Abrams

Eve Ewing

Phylicia Rashad

Ted Fishman

Anne Munition

Gigi Pritzker

Jud Snyder

Neil Stevenson

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