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.

Cindy Mori

Janet Bodnar

Terri Hemmert

Carol Coletta

Jessica Malkin

Debbie Millman

Kelly Leonard

Bobby Ghosh

Dorri McWhorter

Deborah Douglas

Phylicia Rashad

Barbara Starr

Maryam Saleh

Jenan Mohajir

Bethany McLean

Kate Sullivan

Eric Becker

Stephanie Gosk

Melissa Clark

Amanda Seales

Bob Morgan

Lola Wright

Richard Stengel

Jessica Grose

Meredith Stricker

David Brancaccio

Mellody Hobson

Anne-Marie Slaughter

Desiree Rogers

Anne Thompson

Anil Dash

Sandee Kastrul

Linda Lutton

Campbell Brown

Ji Suk Yi

David Gregory

Ali Velshi

Karen Jordan

Jessica Clemons

Chuck Salter

Michael Slaby

Gretchen Carlson

Tricia Eck

Kate Grossman

Rachel Bronson

Laura Desmond

Mats Lederhausen

Cheryl Corley

Touré

Peggy Kusinski

Francis Slakey

Ana Belaval

Mark Caro

Ally Love

Nick Turner

Charles Duhigg

Andee Harris

Eve Ewing

Katherine Lanpher

Mick Dumke

Kelly Grier

Kavita Shukla

Jay Smooth

Eddie Aruzza

Jon Greenberg

Sonny Garg

Jessica Wohl

Geoff Brigham

Laura Washington

Lin Brehmer

Paris Schutz

Kelly Rizzo

Ben Johnson

Odette Yousef

Valerie Lies

Dave Holmes

Carolina Sarassa

Celeste Headlee

Michal Lev-Ram

Padma Lakshmi

Jud Snyder

Felicia Lawrence

Poppy Harlow

Ted Fishman

Adam Benforado

Charles Jenkins

Robin Givhan

Jane Harman

Tom Brokaw

Gigi Pritzker

Dustin Yellin

Molly Wood

Neil Stevenson

Michael Arndt

Keisha Howard

Val Warner

Kevin Pang

Brian Babylon

Shannon Heffernan

Steve Edwards

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