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.

Janet Bodnar

Jon Greenberg

Bethany McLean

Dan Abrams

Dustin Yellin

Linda Cohn

Molly Wood

Peggy Kusinski

Paris Schutz

Jud Snyder

Cindy Mori

Jason Henrichs

Adam Benforado

Karen Jordan

Brian Babylon

Monica Eng

Robin Givhan

Neil Stevenson

Carolina Sarassa

Poppy Harlow

Jessica Grose

Steve Edwards

Stephanie Gosk

Heidi Stevens

Anil Dash

David Brancaccio

Michael Arndt

Debbie Millman

Keisha Howard

Andee Harris

Ana Belaval

Louisa Chu

Linda Lutton

Kate Sullivan

Lin Brehmer

Jane Harman

Mellody Hobson

Touré

Eve Ewing

Tom Brokaw

Myra Greene

Ally Love

Richard Stengel

Andrew Barber

Barbara Starr

Francis Slakey

Phylicia Rashad

Kate Grossman

Deborah Douglas

Jessica Yellin

Michal Lev-Ram

Ted Fishman

Felicia Lawrence

Kelly Leonard

Chuck Salter

Celeste Headlee

Terri Hemmert

Ji Suk Yi

Charles Jenkins

Michael Slaby

Maryam Saleh

Jessica Clemons

Kavita Shukla

Amanda Seales

Jamil Smith

Jay Smooth

Ben Johnson

Eddie Aruzza

Odette Yousef

Kelly Grier

Desiree Rogers

Jessica Malkin

Cheryl Corley

Anne-Marie Slaughter

Ali Velshi

Eric Becker

Padma Lakshmi

Nick Turner

Dorri McWhorter

Kelly Rizzo

Anne Munition

Gigi Pritzker

Laura Washington

Carol Coletta

Melissa Clark

Mark Caro

Sonny Garg

Gretchen Carlson

Rachel Bronson

Mick Dumke

Mats Lederhausen

Jessica Wohl

Tricia Eck

Bobby Ghosh

Jenan Mohajir

Katherine Lanpher

Bob Morgan

Soledad O'Brien

Shannon Heffernan

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