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.

Monica Eng

Bethany McLean

Neil Stevenson

Heidi Stevens

Andrew Barber

Jenan Mohajir

Rachel Bronson

Kelly Grier

Jane Harman

Dorri McWhorter

Val Warner

Eddie Aruzza

Carol Coletta

Jessica Clemons

Keisha Howard

Barbara Starr

Desiree Rogers

Jay Smooth

Louisa Chu

Lola Wright

Padma Lakshmi

Eve Ewing

Tom Brokaw

Jon Greenberg

Ali Velshi

Kate Grossman

Jason Henrichs

Jessica Wohl

Michal Lev-Ram

Jessica Yellin

Soledad O'Brien

Mick Dumke

Cheryl Corley

Anne Thompson

Celeste Headlee

Odette Yousef

Andee Harris

Myra Greene

Phylicia Rashad

Kate Sullivan

Melissa Clark

Linda Cohn

Amanda Seales

Bob Morgan

Kevin Pang

Maryam Saleh

Dave Holmes

Debbie Millman

Ben Johnson

Kelly Leonard

Touré

Jamil Smith

Mark Caro

Chuck Salter

Gigi Pritzker

Brandis Friedman

Brian Babylon

Jessica Malkin

Richard Stengel

Charles Jenkins

Bobby Ghosh

Ted Fishman

Ally Love

Michael Arndt

Kelly Rizzo

Carolina Sarassa

Mellody Hobson

Felicia Lawrence

Ana Belaval

Janet Bodnar

Tricia Eck

Sonny Garg

Dustin Yellin

Deborah Douglas

Geoff Brigham

Stephanie Gosk

Sandee Kastrul

Katherine Lanpher

Paris Schutz

Linda Lutton

Mats Lederhausen

David Gregory

Meredith Stricker

Anil Dash

Lin Brehmer

Jessica Grose

Gretchen Carlson

Terri Hemmert

Kavita Shukla

Dan Abrams

David Brancaccio

Poppy Harlow

Peggy Kusinski

Laura Washington

Karen Jordan

Eric Becker

Adam Benforado

Shannon Heffernan

Steve Edwards

Francis Slakey

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