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.

Anne Thompson

Jane Harman

Richard Stengel

Eric Becker

Stephanie Gosk

Deborah Douglas

Louisa Chu

Michal Lev-Ram

Bethany McLean

Cheryl Corley

Sonny Garg

Jason Henrichs

David Gregory

Monica Eng

Ted Fishman

David Brancaccio

Laura Washington

Dustin Yellin

Heidi Stevens

Peggy Kusinski

Eve Ewing

Neil Stevenson

Terri Hemmert

Odette Yousef

Felicia Lawrence

Janet Bodnar

Jay Smooth

Val Warner

Nick Turner

Shannon Heffernan

Dave Holmes

Laura Desmond

Ben Johnson

Geoff Brigham

Jenan Mohajir

Jamil Smith

Katherine Lanpher

Brandis Friedman

Mick Dumke

Carolina Sarassa

Cindy Mori

Jessica Malkin

Mellody Hobson

Rachel Bronson

Dorri McWhorter

Charles Duhigg

Gretchen Carlson

Mark Caro

Bobby Ghosh

Padma Lakshmi

Touré

Francis Slakey

Robin Givhan

Ana Belaval

Tom Brokaw

Jon Greenberg

Paris Schutz

Melissa Clark

Anne-Marie Slaughter

Adam Benforado

Carol Coletta

Maryam Saleh

Meredith Stricker

Lin Brehmer

Gigi Pritzker

Poppy Harlow

Molly Wood

Ally Love

Kelly Leonard

Soledad O'Brien

Keisha Howard

Mats Lederhausen

Eddie Aruzza

Barbara Starr

Ali Velshi

Campbell Brown

Ji Suk Yi

Lola Wright

Jessica Yellin

Jud Snyder

Steve Edwards

Desiree Rogers

Kate Sullivan

Kate Grossman

Karen Jordan

Tricia Eck

Bob Morgan

Michael Slaby

Celeste Headlee

Charles Jenkins

Linda Lutton

Chuck Salter

Phylicia Rashad

Myra Greene

Debbie Millman

Brian Babylon

Amanda Seales

Andee Harris

Andrew Barber

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