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.

Deborah Douglas

Adam Benforado

Keisha Howard

Anil Dash

Dustin Yellin

Jud Snyder

Ji Suk Yi

Linda Lutton

Eve Ewing

Charles Jenkins

Touré

Chuck Salter

Molly Wood

Barbara Starr

Charles Duhigg

Felicia Lawrence

Poppy Harlow

Jessica Yellin

Bethany McLean

Robin Givhan

Mats Lederhausen

Melissa Clark

David Gregory

Dan Abrams

Stephanie Gosk

Amanda Seales

Jay Smooth

Anne Thompson

Laura Washington

Jane Harman

Sandee Kastrul

Ted Fishman

Karen Jordan

Paris Schutz

Celeste Headlee

Kavita Shukla

Gigi Pritzker

Valerie Lies

Kate Sullivan

Peggy Kusinski

Neil Stevenson

Padma Lakshmi

Kelly Leonard

Campbell Brown

Carolina Sarassa

Linda Cohn

Steve Edwards

Cindy Mori

Mark Caro

Jon Greenberg

Jessica Malkin

Katherine Lanpher

Jessica Grose

Ben Johnson

Mellody Hobson

Dave Holmes

Nick Turner

Andee Harris

Ally Love

Desiree Rogers

Ali Velshi

Carol Coletta

Dorri McWhorter

Jason Henrichs

Monica Eng

Lola Wright

Andrew Barber

Brian Babylon

Brandis Friedman

Jessica Wohl

Ana Belaval

Phylicia Rashad

Shannon Heffernan

Jessica Clemons

David Brancaccio

Kevin Pang

Tom Brokaw

Meredith Stricker

Francis Slakey

Heidi Stevens

Laura Desmond

Geoff Brigham

Val Warner

Louisa Chu

Soledad O'Brien

Debbie Millman

Cheryl Corley

Bobby Ghosh

Mick Dumke

Jenan Mohajir

Michal Lev-Ram

Bob Morgan

Janet Bodnar

Jamil Smith

Terri Hemmert

Myra Greene

Michael Arndt

Kate Grossman

Sonny Garg

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Howard Schultz on the State of Our Nation

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