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.

Jamil Smith

Touré

Eric Becker

Shannon Heffernan

Karen Jordan

Kelly Rizzo

Cindy Mori

Heidi Stevens

Ji Suk Yi

Laura Washington

David Gregory

Dan Abrams

Deborah Douglas

Barbara Starr

Kelly Leonard

Melissa Clark

Michael Arndt

Cheryl Corley

Brian Babylon

Laura Desmond

Jane Harman

Peggy Kusinski

Val Warner

Linda Cohn

Sonny Garg

Geoff Brigham

Ali Velshi

Sandee Kastrul

Jessica Wohl

Neil Stevenson

Poppy Harlow

Jessica Malkin

Kate Grossman

Chuck Salter

Linda Lutton

Kavita Shukla

Terri Hemmert

Molly Wood

Keisha Howard

Felicia Lawrence

Bethany McLean

Dorri McWhorter

Jud Snyder

Charles Duhigg

Mats Lederhausen

Jenan Mohajir

Bobby Ghosh

Jessica Grose

Soledad O'Brien

Adam Benforado

Jon Greenberg

Lin Brehmer

Monica Eng

Odette Yousef

Campbell Brown

Dustin Yellin

Charles Jenkins

Maryam Saleh

Amanda Seales

Rachel Bronson

Mellody Hobson

Jay Smooth

Ted Fishman

Dave Holmes

Michael Slaby

Jason Henrichs

Paris Schutz

Eddie Aruzza

Tom Brokaw

Louisa Chu

Anil Dash

Gigi Pritzker

Ally Love

Kelly Grier

Ana Belaval

Bob Morgan

Michal Lev-Ram

Meredith Stricker

Jessica Clemons

Carolina Sarassa

Lola Wright

Robin Givhan

Anne Thompson

Nick Turner

Andrew Barber

Kate Sullivan

Andee Harris

Debbie Millman

Padma Lakshmi

Eve Ewing

Celeste Headlee

David Brancaccio

Anne Munition

Francis Slakey

Katherine Lanpher

Steve Edwards

Stephanie Gosk

Mark Caro

Brandis Friedman

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