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.

Mick Dumke

Karen Jordan

Jon Greenberg

Anne Munition

Brian Babylon

Steve Edwards

Ana Belaval

Phylicia Rashad

Bethany McLean

Melissa Clark

Monica Eng

Deborah Douglas

Dave Holmes

Heidi Stevens

Ali Velshi

Michael Arndt

Mark Caro

Dustin Yellin

Carol Coletta

Jay Smooth

Kate Grossman

Cindy Mori

Jud Snyder

Charles Duhigg

Dorri McWhorter

Neil Stevenson

Val Warner

Ted Fishman

Brandis Friedman

Laura Desmond

Louisa Chu

Sandee Kastrul

Linda Lutton

Janet Bodnar

Kavita Shukla

Anne-Marie Slaughter

David Gregory

Maryam Saleh

Michael Slaby

Soledad O'Brien

Campbell Brown

Terri Hemmert

Jessica Yellin

Paris Schutz

Lin Brehmer

Jamil Smith

Jenan Mohajir

Ben Johnson

Eve Ewing

Kelly Grier

Eric Becker

Anil Dash

Jessica Grose

Katherine Lanpher

Jessica Malkin

Kate Sullivan

Poppy Harlow

Myra Greene

Jessica Wohl

Tom Brokaw

Keisha Howard

Robin Givhan

Kevin Pang

Nick Turner

Ji Suk Yi

Rachel Bronson

Andrew Barber

Molly Wood

Debbie Millman

Bob Morgan

Celeste Headlee

Padma Lakshmi

Desiree Rogers

Francis Slakey

Ally Love

Eddie Aruzza

Jason Henrichs

Richard Stengel

Mellody Hobson

Felicia Lawrence

Laura Washington

Mats Lederhausen

Dan Abrams

Barbara Starr

Stephanie Gosk

Cheryl Corley

Anne Thompson

Bobby Ghosh

Peggy Kusinski

Lola Wright

Gigi Pritzker

Chuck Salter

Geoff Brigham

Kelly Leonard

David Brancaccio

Jessica Clemons

Meredith Stricker

Touré

Odette Yousef

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Howard Schultz on the State of Our Nation

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