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.

Meredith Stricker

David Brancaccio

Adam Benforado

Nick Turner

Charles Duhigg

Tom Brokaw

Linda Lutton

Eric Becker

Dorri McWhorter

Lola Wright

Eddie Aruzza

Kelly Rizzo

Linda Cohn

Anne-Marie Slaughter

Barbara Starr

Charles Jenkins

Monica Eng

Carol Coletta

Karen Jordan

Val Warner

Debbie Millman

Dustin Yellin

Eve Ewing

Kevin Pang

Deborah Douglas

Ji Suk Yi

Francis Slakey

Geoff Brigham

Andee Harris

Dan Abrams

Steve Edwards

Laura Washington

Bob Morgan

Stephanie Gosk

Keisha Howard

Myra Greene

Campbell Brown

Valerie Lies

Jon Greenberg

Jessica Grose

Anil Dash

Jenan Mohajir

Kate Sullivan

Kate Grossman

Padma Lakshmi

Touré

Michael Slaby

Terri Hemmert

Brandis Friedman

Lin Brehmer

Jessica Clemons

Dave Holmes

Paris Schutz

Jessica Malkin

Soledad O'Brien

Bobby Ghosh

Anne Thompson

Michael Arndt

Mellody Hobson

Kelly Grier

Melissa Clark

Kavita Shukla

Cindy Mori

Tricia Eck

Neil Stevenson

Maryam Saleh

Andrew Barber

Shannon Heffernan

Richard Stengel

Ben Johnson

Chuck Salter

Michal Lev-Ram

Phylicia Rashad

Gigi Pritzker

Mick Dumke

Ally Love

Jason Henrichs

Jessica Yellin

Brian Babylon

David Gregory

Louisa Chu

Janet Bodnar

Rachel Bronson

Sandee Kastrul

Robin Givhan

Ana Belaval

Peggy Kusinski

Odette Yousef

Jessica Wohl

Felicia Lawrence

Ali Velshi

Ted Fishman

Katherine Lanpher

Bethany McLean

Celeste Headlee

Jane Harman

Heidi Stevens

Jud Snyder

Laura Desmond

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