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.

Bob Morgan

Ted Fishman

Ji Suk Yi

Anne Munition

Phylicia Rashad

Kelly Grier

Michal Lev-Ram

Andrew Barber

Celeste Headlee

Amanda Seales

Chuck Salter

Jason Henrichs

Kavita Shukla

Mellody Hobson

Ali Velshi

Jessica Clemons

Anil Dash

Gretchen Carlson

Maryam Saleh

Eve Ewing

Dan Abrams

David Brancaccio

Heidi Stevens

Kelly Leonard

Anne Thompson

Molly Wood

Valerie Lies

Peggy Kusinski

Felicia Lawrence

Linda Lutton

Jud Snyder

Anne-Marie Slaughter

Laura Washington

Ana Belaval

Val Warner

Neil Stevenson

Odette Yousef

Richard Stengel

Katherine Lanpher

Adam Benforado

Barbara Starr

Steve Edwards

Laura Desmond

Monica Eng

Jane Harman

Dave Holmes

Touré

Dorri McWhorter

Bobby Ghosh

David Gregory

Janet Bodnar

Carol Coletta

Mick Dumke

Lin Brehmer

Carolina Sarassa

Louisa Chu

Gigi Pritzker

Eddie Aruzza

Cindy Mori

Jon Greenberg

Keisha Howard

Jay Smooth

Linda Cohn

Jessica Malkin

Jamil Smith

Debbie Millman

Paris Schutz

Brian Babylon

Sandee Kastrul

Melissa Clark

Charles Jenkins

Kate Sullivan

Campbell Brown

Tom Brokaw

Dustin Yellin

Charles Duhigg

Geoff Brigham

Soledad O'Brien

Brandis Friedman

Rachel Bronson

Kelly Rizzo

Jessica Yellin

Mats Lederhausen

Robin Givhan

Andee Harris

Ben Johnson

Tricia Eck

Padma Lakshmi

Sonny Garg

Stephanie Gosk

Myra Greene

Desiree Rogers

Nick Turner

Jessica Wohl

Meredith Stricker

Terri Hemmert

Francis Slakey

Karen Jordan

Bethany McLean

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Howard Schultz on the State of Our Nation

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