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.

Terri Hemmert

Kate Grossman

Brandis Friedman

Chuck Salter

Keisha Howard

Steve Edwards

Linda Lutton

Bob Morgan

Padma Lakshmi

David Brancaccio

Lola Wright

Jason Henrichs

Celeste Headlee

Michael Arndt

Jay Smooth

Rachel Bronson

Mellody Hobson

Charles Duhigg

Paris Schutz

Neil Stevenson

Sandee Kastrul

Karen Jordan

Anne Munition

Debbie Millman

Ally Love

Jessica Wohl

Nick Turner

Poppy Harlow

Adam Benforado

Felicia Lawrence

Peggy Kusinski

Meredith Stricker

Laura Desmond

Janet Bodnar

Jon Greenberg

Dave Holmes

Jane Harman

Jessica Malkin

Kevin Pang

Richard Stengel

Val Warner

Bethany McLean

Carolina Sarassa

Katherine Lanpher

Gigi Pritzker

Jessica Grose

Monica Eng

Phylicia Rashad

Molly Wood

Melissa Clark

Michal Lev-Ram

Kate Sullivan

Gretchen Carlson

Amanda Seales

Jenan Mohajir

Jessica Clemons

Stephanie Gosk

Deborah Douglas

Eric Becker

Jessica Yellin

Dan Abrams

Barbara Starr

Tom Brokaw

Ted Fishman

David Gregory

Soledad O'Brien

Jud Snyder

Eve Ewing

Brian Babylon

Carol Coletta

Tricia Eck

Andrew Barber

Linda Cohn

Myra Greene

Dorri McWhorter

Geoff Brigham

Touré

Kavita Shukla

Kelly Grier

Ben Johnson

Kelly Leonard

Anne Thompson

Jamil Smith

Ana Belaval

Cheryl Corley

Anil Dash

Mick Dumke

Lin Brehmer

Andee Harris

Maryam Saleh

Desiree Rogers

Louisa Chu

Michael Slaby

Cindy Mori

Dustin Yellin

Ji Suk Yi

Heidi Stevens

Valerie Lies

Anne-Marie Slaughter

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