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.

Kelly Grier

Anne Thompson

Bobby Ghosh

Eric Becker

Celeste Headlee

Jessica Yellin

Michal Lev-Ram

Val Warner

Louisa Chu

Linda Cohn

Ana Belaval

Jane Harman

Carolina Sarassa

Anil Dash

Poppy Harlow

Jon Greenberg

Jenan Mohajir

Heidi Stevens

Carol Coletta

David Brancaccio

Gigi Pritzker

David Gregory

Keisha Howard

Jud Snyder

Anne Munition

Shannon Heffernan

Ben Johnson

Desiree Rogers

Charles Duhigg

Amanda Seales

Terri Hemmert

Linda Lutton

Jessica Malkin

Kate Sullivan

Dorri McWhorter

Monica Eng

Jessica Wohl

Peggy Kusinski

Jamil Smith

Felicia Lawrence

Richard Stengel

Neil Stevenson

Ali Velshi

Maryam Saleh

Debbie Millman

Gretchen Carlson

Kelly Leonard

Bob Morgan

Ally Love

Jason Henrichs

Adam Benforado

Lola Wright

Ted Fishman

Mick Dumke

Meredith Stricker

Kelly Rizzo

Chuck Salter

Bethany McLean

Jay Smooth

Tricia Eck

Cindy Mori

Katherine Lanpher

Jessica Grose

Brian Babylon

Francis Slakey

Cheryl Corley

Odette Yousef

Brandis Friedman

Janet Bodnar

Kavita Shukla

Valerie Lies

Charles Jenkins

Rachel Bronson

Paris Schutz

Eddie Aruzza

Dustin Yellin

Mark Caro

Andee Harris

Steve Edwards

Michael Slaby

Jessica Clemons

Sandee Kastrul

Laura Desmond

Soledad O'Brien

Campbell Brown

Sonny Garg

Kevin Pang

Melissa Clark

Touré

Dan Abrams

Lin Brehmer

Andrew Barber

Karen Jordan

Stephanie Gosk

Dave Holmes

Robin Givhan

Myra Greene

Laura Washington

Padma Lakshmi

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Howard Schultz on the State of Our Nation

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