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.

Dorri McWhorter

David Gregory

Jane Harman

Nick Turner

Janet Bodnar

Jamil Smith

Barbara Starr

Louisa Chu

Monica Eng

Gretchen Carlson

Ally Love

Paris Schutz

Charles Duhigg

Dustin Yellin

Steve Edwards

Laura Washington

Mark Caro

Francis Slakey

Melissa Clark

Peggy Kusinski

Brandis Friedman

Meredith Stricker

Sonny Garg

Kelly Grier

Debbie Millman

Cheryl Corley

Jessica Grose

Ana Belaval

Ali Velshi

Kate Grossman

Jason Henrichs

Poppy Harlow

Jon Greenberg

Myra Greene

Mats Lederhausen

Kelly Rizzo

Bob Morgan

Eve Ewing

Dan Abrams

Mellody Hobson

Soledad O'Brien

Geoff Brigham

Adam Benforado

Charles Jenkins

Linda Cohn

Tricia Eck

Terri Hemmert

Chuck Salter

Sandee Kastrul

Padma Lakshmi

Carol Coletta

Andrew Barber

Michael Arndt

Tom Brokaw

Jessica Clemons

Bobby Ghosh

Katherine Lanpher

Stephanie Gosk

Robin Givhan

Desiree Rogers

Campbell Brown

Ben Johnson

Kevin Pang

Ji Suk Yi

Bethany McLean

Kate Sullivan

Heidi Stevens

Eric Becker

Neil Stevenson

Eddie Aruzza

Maryam Saleh

Jay Smooth

Mick Dumke

Andee Harris

Felicia Lawrence

Michael Slaby

Celeste Headlee

Jessica Malkin

David Brancaccio

Val Warner

Jud Snyder

Linda Lutton

Kavita Shukla

Karen Jordan

Ted Fishman

Brian Babylon

Dave Holmes

Anne Thompson

Deborah Douglas

Shannon Heffernan

Carolina Sarassa

Valerie Lies

Odette Yousef

Lin Brehmer

Phylicia Rashad

Molly Wood

Jessica Wohl

Rachel Bronson

Lola Wright

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Howard Schultz on the State of Our Nation

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