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.

Valerie Lies

Jessica Clemons

Ally Love

Mick Dumke

Kelly Leonard

Molly Wood

Adam Benforado

Linda Lutton

Dustin Yellin

Jenan Mohajir

Chuck Salter

Bethany McLean

Anne Thompson

Odette Yousef

Ted Fishman

Deborah Douglas

Richard Stengel

Andrew Barber

Gigi Pritzker

Jessica Yellin

Felicia Lawrence

Dave Holmes

Bobby Ghosh

Val Warner

Jane Harman

Melissa Clark

Geoff Brigham

Poppy Harlow

David Gregory

Keisha Howard

Laura Washington

Anil Dash

Karen Jordan

Linda Cohn

Touré

Kate Grossman

Bob Morgan

Eric Becker

Mark Caro

Ji Suk Yi

Monica Eng

Tricia Eck

Robin Givhan

Stephanie Gosk

Sandee Kastrul

Charles Jenkins

Mats Lederhausen

Eddie Aruzza

Katherine Lanpher

Andee Harris

Neil Stevenson

Michael Slaby

Terri Hemmert

Phylicia Rashad

Tom Brokaw

Heidi Stevens

Louisa Chu

Anne-Marie Slaughter

Ana Belaval

Brandis Friedman

Celeste Headlee

Janet Bodnar

Kelly Grier

Jay Smooth

Ali Velshi

Cheryl Corley

Ben Johnson

Jason Henrichs

Barbara Starr

Carol Coletta

Shannon Heffernan

Meredith Stricker

Campbell Brown

Jessica Malkin

Laura Desmond

Dorri McWhorter

Peggy Kusinski

Padma Lakshmi

Michal Lev-Ram

Kevin Pang

Lola Wright

Carolina Sarassa

David Brancaccio

Kate Sullivan

Soledad O'Brien

Michael Arndt

Jessica Wohl

Steve Edwards

Anne Munition

Jon Greenberg

Nick Turner

Myra Greene

Mellody Hobson

Paris Schutz

Charles Duhigg

Jessica Grose

Desiree Rogers

Eve Ewing

Rachel Bronson

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