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.

Dave Holmes

Jessica Malkin

Meredith Stricker

Maryam Saleh

Gretchen Carlson

Tom Brokaw

Karen Jordan

Kelly Leonard

Charles Duhigg

Padma Lakshmi

Jud Snyder

Keisha Howard

Jessica Clemons

David Brancaccio

Jamil Smith

Molly Wood

Mark Caro

Andee Harris

Phylicia Rashad

Deborah Douglas

Mellody Hobson

Ben Johnson

Anne Munition

Valerie Lies

Cheryl Corley

Ted Fishman

Debbie Millman

Bob Morgan

Dorri McWhorter

Jay Smooth

Sandee Kastrul

Jon Greenberg

Jessica Yellin

Amanda Seales

Melissa Clark

Adam Benforado

Laura Desmond

Myra Greene

Ally Love

Linda Cohn

Richard Stengel

Ali Velshi

Val Warner

Rachel Bronson

Laura Washington

Lola Wright

Brian Babylon

Dustin Yellin

Jenan Mohajir

Carolina Sarassa

Janet Bodnar

Celeste Headlee

Eve Ewing

Heidi Stevens

Sonny Garg

Bobby Ghosh

Anne Thompson

Michael Arndt

Lin Brehmer

Andrew Barber

Gigi Pritzker

Jane Harman

Ana Belaval

David Gregory

Charles Jenkins

Chuck Salter

Mick Dumke

Paris Schutz

Linda Lutton

Dan Abrams

Nick Turner

Kelly Rizzo

Michael Slaby

Katherine Lanpher

Peggy Kusinski

Odette Yousef

Campbell Brown

Touré

Robin Givhan

Steve Edwards

Kate Sullivan

Francis Slakey

Kevin Pang

Barbara Starr

Tricia Eck

Monica Eng

Brandis Friedman

Cindy Mori

Kavita Shukla

Bethany McLean

Louisa Chu

Poppy Harlow

Terri Hemmert

Kelly Grier

Neil Stevenson

Carol Coletta

Eddie Aruzza

Jessica Wohl

Anne-Marie Slaughter

Anil Dash

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