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.

Anil Dash

David Brancaccio

Kelly Grier

Michael Arndt

Cheryl Corley

Ana Belaval

Mellody Hobson

Eve Ewing

Carol Coletta

Laura Desmond

Michael Slaby

Kevin Pang

Jessica Yellin

Dan Abrams

Keisha Howard

Debbie Millman

Shannon Heffernan

Linda Lutton

Louisa Chu

Mark Caro

Amanda Seales

Jane Harman

Ally Love

Terri Hemmert

Ben Johnson

Heidi Stevens

Kelly Rizzo

Bob Morgan

Adam Benforado

Padma Lakshmi

Felicia Lawrence

Andee Harris

Richard Stengel

Lola Wright

Deborah Douglas

Karen Jordan

Jon Greenberg

Myra Greene

Desiree Rogers

Maryam Saleh

Francis Slakey

Sandee Kastrul

Nick Turner

Peggy Kusinski

Eddie Aruzza

Jessica Malkin

Celeste Headlee

Rachel Bronson

Jessica Wohl

Dorri McWhorter

Jamil Smith

Steve Edwards

Anne-Marie Slaughter

Melissa Clark

Charles Duhigg

Barbara Starr

Jay Smooth

Linda Cohn

Michal Lev-Ram

Meredith Stricker

Stephanie Gosk

Charles Jenkins

Janet Bodnar

Ali Velshi

Touré

Odette Yousef

Bobby Ghosh

Brian Babylon

Chuck Salter

David Gregory

Anne Thompson

Valerie Lies

Robin Givhan

Neil Stevenson

Gretchen Carlson

Tricia Eck

Sonny Garg

Kavita Shukla

Molly Wood

Monica Eng

Katherine Lanpher

Val Warner

Dave Holmes

Andrew Barber

Kelly Leonard

Jason Henrichs

Bethany McLean

Tom Brokaw

Cindy Mori

Gigi Pritzker

Mats Lederhausen

Carolina Sarassa

Geoff Brigham

Poppy Harlow

Anne Munition

Jessica Clemons

Soledad O'Brien

Jud Snyder

Jenan Mohajir

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