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.

Jane Harman

Odette Yousef

Anne Munition

Deborah Douglas

Mick Dumke

Bethany McLean

Ted Fishman

Amanda Seales

Jason Henrichs

Rachel Bronson

Adam Benforado

Terri Hemmert

Cheryl Corley

Kelly Rizzo

Eddie Aruzza

Sonny Garg

Val Warner

Laura Washington

Janet Bodnar

Touré

Ana Belaval

Jud Snyder

Ali Velshi

Valerie Lies

Francis Slakey

Paris Schutz

Michael Arndt

Monica Eng

Gretchen Carlson

Jessica Clemons

Steve Edwards

Dan Abrams

Kelly Grier

Laura Desmond

Anne Thompson

Debbie Millman

Charles Jenkins

Mellody Hobson

Brandis Friedman

Carol Coletta

Jon Greenberg

Michael Slaby

Anil Dash

Dorri McWhorter

Kevin Pang

Lin Brehmer

Jamil Smith

Richard Stengel

Brian Babylon

Molly Wood

Jessica Malkin

Cindy Mori

Eve Ewing

Ally Love

Louisa Chu

Neil Stevenson

Myra Greene

Linda Cohn

Dustin Yellin

Meredith Stricker

David Gregory

Heidi Stevens

Peggy Kusinski

Bob Morgan

Jessica Grose

Soledad O'Brien

Karen Jordan

Shannon Heffernan

Barbara Starr

Celeste Headlee

Charles Duhigg

Mark Caro

Katherine Lanpher

Robin Givhan

Lola Wright

Padma Lakshmi

Ji Suk Yi

Melissa Clark

Chuck Salter

Jay Smooth

Kate Sullivan

Kavita Shukla

David Brancaccio

Dave Holmes

Tom Brokaw

Campbell Brown

Ben Johnson

Kate Grossman

Jenan Mohajir

Geoff Brigham

Mats Lederhausen

Felicia Lawrence

Desiree Rogers

Sandee Kastrul

Anne-Marie Slaughter

Maryam Saleh

Michal Lev-Ram

Kelly Leonard

Stephanie Gosk

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