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.

Deborah Douglas

Meredith Stricker

Mark Caro

Valerie Lies

Desiree Rogers

Val Warner

David Gregory

Brandis Friedman

Geoff Brigham

Carol Coletta

Jon Greenberg

Jessica Clemons

Jenan Mohajir

Ana Belaval

Kelly Leonard

Mick Dumke

Andee Harris

Cindy Mori

Sandee Kastrul

Jay Smooth

Myra Greene

Jessica Malkin

Gigi Pritzker

Campbell Brown

Linda Cohn

Kate Grossman

Kelly Rizzo

Bethany McLean

Tricia Eck

Anne Munition

Charles Duhigg

Jessica Grose

Eddie Aruzza

Phylicia Rashad

Carolina Sarassa

Odette Yousef

Monica Eng

Karen Jordan

Laura Desmond

Tom Brokaw

Lin Brehmer

Louisa Chu

Anil Dash

Chuck Salter

Terri Hemmert

Ji Suk Yi

Jason Henrichs

Michael Slaby

Jessica Yellin

Dave Holmes

Robin Givhan

Bob Morgan

Ally Love

Kelly Grier

Heidi Stevens

Gretchen Carlson

Michael Arndt

Jane Harman

Jamil Smith

Jud Snyder

Andrew Barber

Anne Thompson

Dan Abrams

Padma Lakshmi

Kavita Shukla

Felicia Lawrence

Adam Benforado

Brian Babylon

Janet Bodnar

Amanda Seales

Poppy Harlow

Ben Johnson

David Brancaccio

Dustin Yellin

Molly Wood

Michal Lev-Ram

Charles Jenkins

Rachel Bronson

Jessica Wohl

Maryam Saleh

Laura Washington

Celeste Headlee

Mats Lederhausen

Ted Fishman

Mellody Hobson

Ali Velshi

Eric Becker

Cheryl Corley

Soledad O'Brien

Eve Ewing

Nick Turner

Steve Edwards

Debbie Millman

Bobby Ghosh

Touré

Stephanie Gosk

Katherine Lanpher

Richard Stengel

Barbara Starr

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The History of Slavery in Objects

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Helene D. Gayle on the History of Chicago's Wealth Gap

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Yusef Salaam on What He Learned From Adversity

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Ayana Elizabeth Johnson Focuses on Finding Solutions for Ocean Conservation

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Jose Antonio Vargas Explores What Immigration "Looks Like" Today

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Pete Holmes Explores the Meaning of Life

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Bring Your Imagination to Life

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Bashir Salahuddin on Chicago's Creative Scene

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Hebru Brantley on the Story Behind Nevermore

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Xavier Ramey Sits Down with Charlamagne Tha God to Talk Black Men & Mental Health

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Xavier Ramey Sits Down with Charlamagne Tha God to Talk Black Men & Mental Health

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Full Talk: What Does It Mean To Be a Black Man Today?

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Howard Schultz Sits Down with Mellody Hobson to Talk About What's Next

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Howard Schultz on His Potential 2020 Run

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Former Starbucks Chairman & CEO Shares His Thoughts on What Happened in Philadelphia

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Howard Schultz on the State of Our Nation

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