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.

Jessica Clemons

Soledad O'Brien

Meredith Stricker

Mark Caro

Steve Edwards

Terri Hemmert

Tricia Eck

Bob Morgan

Jason Henrichs

Bethany McLean

Sandee Kastrul

Karen Jordan

Kelly Leonard

Ben Johnson

Jessica Malkin

Mick Dumke

Odette Yousef

Andee Harris

Dustin Yellin

Jessica Yellin

Andrew Barber

Desiree Rogers

Dan Abrams

Richard Stengel

Paris Schutz

Ji Suk Yi

Janet Bodnar

Anne Munition

Eric Becker

Jessica Grose

Michael Arndt

Geoff Brigham

Brian Babylon

Gretchen Carlson

Dorri McWhorter

Amanda Seales

Charles Jenkins

Carolina Sarassa

Stephanie Gosk

Jay Smooth

Adam Benforado

Keisha Howard

Heidi Stevens

Jane Harman

David Brancaccio

Anne-Marie Slaughter

Anne Thompson

Touré

Robin Givhan

Lola Wright

Michael Slaby

Kate Sullivan

Mellody Hobson

Barbara Starr

Bobby Ghosh

Dave Holmes

Rachel Bronson

Debbie Millman

Anil Dash

Felicia Lawrence

Kate Grossman

Tom Brokaw

Celeste Headlee

Kelly Grier

Jessica Wohl

Louisa Chu

Linda Cohn

Mats Lederhausen

Sonny Garg

Cheryl Corley

Jamil Smith

Campbell Brown

Ted Fishman

Jenan Mohajir

Lin Brehmer

Melissa Clark

Eve Ewing

Valerie Lies

Chuck Salter

David Gregory

Deborah Douglas

Francis Slakey

Neil Stevenson

Jon Greenberg

Kavita Shukla

Val Warner

Eddie Aruzza

Katherine Lanpher

Monica Eng

Michal Lev-Ram

Ally Love

Nick Turner

Ali Velshi

Carol Coletta

Linda Lutton

Padma Lakshmi

Jud Snyder

Peggy Kusinski

Shannon Heffernan

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