Now Live: The Chicago Ideas Week Schedule

Chicago Ideas Week is October 16-22, 2017. Explore our most diverse and provocative program yet before the lineup of speakers is announced on 8/29.

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Featured Events

Explore some of our Talks (direct addresses), Conversations (panel discussions), and Labs (hands-on experiences) from the 2017 festival.

See the full schedule

Talk

October 17, 7:00pm
Innovating from Within: When the Entrepreneurial Spirit Never Stops

Talk

October 16, 7:00pm
The State of Our Union

Talk

October 17, 12:00pm
A World With(Out)
Talk

October 17, 4:00pm
Breakthroughs: Advancing the Way We Live

Talk

October 19, 7:00pm
A Seat at the Table: Finding Equal Footing through Storytelling

Talk

October 19, 12:00pm
Hacking our Defenses: The Future of Cybersecurity

10 Social Entrepreneurs You Should Know

We are pleased to announce the 2017 Bluhm/Helfand Social Innovation Semi-Finalists. Up to five of these remarkable individuals will be selected for the 2017 Fellowship. See them on stage at Chicago Ideas Week, October 16-22, 2017.

Volunteer with Chicago Ideas

Beyond Membership, you can also get involve with Chicago Ideas Week by becoming a volunteer.

Apply to Volunteer

Unique Experiences

Volunteers often get to sit or stand in on the program they volunteer for. They also get to meet new people as members of our team, and are invited to the end-of-season Volunteer Soiree.

Learn more

Ticket Discounts

Volunteers get a discount code for public Talks, Conversations and Labs during Chicago Ideas Week.

Explore the Schedule

Support Chicago Ideas

Chicago Ideas is a nonprofit organization. We rely on the support of our volunteers to make ideas accessible to everyone.

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Ideas Day gives students the power to create change in their schools

This year marks the inaugural Ideas Day, a new initiative which brings Chicago Ideas-style events into schools throughout Chicago

Early Access to Tickets

Ticket Discounts

Exclusive Event Invites

Insider News

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Latest Blog Posts

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Ideas, Etc.

Make an impact

Find out how we are inspiring action and affecting change in our community.

Learn more about our programs

Connecting, inspiring and empowering Chicago's future leaders

Learn more about our youth program

Chicago Ideas has become an integral part of the fabric of our city. By bringing together thought leaders from across the globe, it helps establish Chicago as a hub for cutting-edge ideas and innovation.

Mayor Rahm Emanuel

Co-Chairman, Chicago Ideas; Mayor, City of Chicago

Meet the people behind Chicago Ideas

Meet social entrepreneurs who are changing the world

Learn more about the Bluhm/Helfand Social Innovation Fellowship

It's a new-age networking group with one goal in mind: bringing together action-minded individuals ready to make connections and drive meaningful change.