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.

Anil Dash

Keisha Howard

Jane Harman

Andee Harris

Jessica Grose

Dave Holmes

Deborah Douglas

Tricia Eck

David Brancaccio

Jud Snyder

Bobby Ghosh

Sandee Kastrul

Gigi Pritzker

Carol Coletta

Cheryl Corley

Molly Wood

Ana Belaval

Kelly Grier

Linda Lutton

Amanda Seales

Maryam Saleh

Neil Stevenson

Bethany McLean

Melissa Clark

Robin Givhan

Michael Arndt

Eddie Aruzza

Mats Lederhausen

Cindy Mori

Val Warner

Poppy Harlow

Katherine Lanpher

Tom Brokaw

Charles Duhigg

Padma Lakshmi

Stephanie Gosk

Jenan Mohajir

Dan Abrams

Carolina Sarassa

Mellody Hobson

Felicia Lawrence

Anne Munition

Brandis Friedman

Dustin Yellin

Sonny Garg

Jamil Smith

Brian Babylon

Janet Bodnar

Campbell Brown

Jason Henrichs

Valerie Lies

Meredith Stricker

Andrew Barber

Kelly Rizzo

Adam Benforado

Peggy Kusinski

David Gregory

Kevin Pang

Dorri McWhorter

Heidi Stevens

Soledad O'Brien

Chuck Salter

Paris Schutz

Touré

Shannon Heffernan

Kate Sullivan

Charles Jenkins

Ally Love

Linda Cohn

Karen Jordan

Jay Smooth

Ji Suk Yi

Francis Slakey

Lola Wright

Gretchen Carlson

Michal Lev-Ram

Eric Becker

Jessica Wohl

Ali Velshi

Steve Edwards

Ben Johnson

Celeste Headlee

Ted Fishman

Laura Desmond

Richard Stengel

Jessica Clemons

Bob Morgan

Desiree Rogers

Mark Caro

Nick Turner

Barbara Starr

Geoff Brigham

Phylicia Rashad

Terri Hemmert

Myra Greene

Laura Washington

Jessica Yellin

Kate Grossman

Debbie Millman

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