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.

Ana Belaval

Kevin Pang

Dave Holmes

Jessica Wohl

Ally Love

Linda Lutton

Desiree Rogers

Gigi Pritzker

Jay Smooth

Val Warner

Andrew Barber

Keisha Howard

Anil Dash

Terri Hemmert

Celeste Headlee

Carolina Sarassa

Paris Schutz

Jud Snyder

Bethany McLean

Eve Ewing

Deborah Douglas

Brandis Friedman

Rachel Bronson

Bobby Ghosh

Janet Bodnar

Ted Fishman

Molly Wood

Chuck Salter

Bob Morgan

Brian Babylon

Cindy Mori

Jamil Smith

Jenan Mohajir

Cheryl Corley

Dorri McWhorter

Michael Arndt

Ji Suk Yi

Charles Duhigg

Michal Lev-Ram

Kavita Shukla

Anne Munition

Maryam Saleh

Shannon Heffernan

Tom Brokaw

Odette Yousef

Jason Henrichs

Lin Brehmer

Jane Harman

Francis Slakey

Monica Eng

Nick Turner

Robin Givhan

Steve Edwards

Dustin Yellin

Jon Greenberg

David Brancaccio

Ali Velshi

Kelly Rizzo

Adam Benforado

Lola Wright

Kate Sullivan

Jessica Malkin

Heidi Stevens

Touré

Meredith Stricker

Stephanie Gosk

Mellody Hobson

David Gregory

Anne-Marie Slaughter

Richard Stengel

Linda Cohn

Debbie Millman

Kate Grossman

Neil Stevenson

Laura Washington

Jessica Grose

Eddie Aruzza

Padma Lakshmi

Eric Becker

Sonny Garg

Gretchen Carlson

Felicia Lawrence

Andee Harris

Poppy Harlow

Myra Greene

Tricia Eck

Karen Jordan

Jessica Clemons

Kelly Leonard

Dan Abrams

Mick Dumke

Barbara Starr

Soledad O'Brien

Phylicia Rashad

Peggy Kusinski

Ben Johnson

Campbell Brown

Geoff Brigham

Melissa Clark

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Howard Schultz on the State of Our Nation

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