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.

Kevin Pang

Peggy Kusinski

Brandis Friedman

Celeste Headlee

Jason Henrichs

Desiree Rogers

Jay Smooth

Dan Abrams

Cindy Mori

Felicia Lawrence

Eve Ewing

Carolina Sarassa

Laura Desmond

Valerie Lies

Anne Munition

Jane Harman

Jenan Mohajir

Kelly Leonard

Jud Snyder

Barbara Starr

Cheryl Corley

Mellody Hobson

Ally Love

Bobby Ghosh

Kelly Rizzo

Linda Cohn

Janet Bodnar

Myra Greene

Bethany McLean

Poppy Harlow

Jessica Grose

Deborah Douglas

Phylicia Rashad

Mats Lederhausen

Debbie Millman

Karen Jordan

Anne-Marie Slaughter

Katherine Lanpher

Paris Schutz

Ana Belaval

Chuck Salter

Dorri McWhorter

Ben Johnson

Dave Holmes

Adam Benforado

David Brancaccio

Touré

Steve Edwards

Charles Duhigg

Jessica Malkin

Louisa Chu

Kate Grossman

Dustin Yellin

Heidi Stevens

Kate Sullivan

Andrew Barber

Mark Caro

Campbell Brown

Amanda Seales

Michal Lev-Ram

Rachel Bronson

Neil Stevenson

Gretchen Carlson

Sandee Kastrul

Brian Babylon

Kavita Shukla

Jessica Wohl

Kelly Grier

Nick Turner

Michael Arndt

Anne Thompson

Ali Velshi

Laura Washington

Bob Morgan

Eddie Aruzza

Tom Brokaw

Meredith Stricker

Mick Dumke

Molly Wood

Melissa Clark

Anil Dash

Charles Jenkins

Robin Givhan

David Gregory

Ted Fishman

Linda Lutton

Ji Suk Yi

Padma Lakshmi

Terri Hemmert

Maryam Saleh

Jessica Yellin

Tricia Eck

Odette Yousef

Eric Becker

Jessica Clemons

Geoff Brigham

Francis Slakey

Carol Coletta

Stephanie Gosk

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Howard Schultz on the State of Our Nation

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