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.

Jessica Malkin

Rachel Bronson

Jessica Grose

Kelly Rizzo

Richard Stengel

Linda Lutton

Neil Stevenson

Valerie Lies

Myra Greene

David Gregory

Dorri McWhorter

Jane Harman

Eric Becker

Debbie Millman

Anne Thompson

Anne-Marie Slaughter

Paris Schutz

Ana Belaval

Cindy Mori

Amanda Seales

Melissa Clark

Tricia Eck

Bethany McLean

Michal Lev-Ram

Sandee Kastrul

Dustin Yellin

Adam Benforado

Eddie Aruzza

Jessica Yellin

Francis Slakey

Terri Hemmert

Ji Suk Yi

Janet Bodnar

Touré

Laura Desmond

Ali Velshi

Andrew Barber

Gigi Pritzker

Michael Slaby

Monica Eng

Lola Wright

Kelly Leonard

Jessica Clemons

Geoff Brigham

Robin Givhan

Lin Brehmer

Jason Henrichs

Cheryl Corley

Heidi Stevens

Anne Munition

Bob Morgan

Sonny Garg

Jessica Wohl

Ben Johnson

Felicia Lawrence

Eve Ewing

Jenan Mohajir

Linda Cohn

Campbell Brown

Dan Abrams

Ted Fishman

Kate Grossman

Stephanie Gosk

Maryam Saleh

Meredith Stricker

Poppy Harlow

Peggy Kusinski

Mark Caro

Kevin Pang

Mellody Hobson

Ally Love

Desiree Rogers

Katherine Lanpher

Michael Arndt

Jamil Smith

Charles Jenkins

Mick Dumke

Molly Wood

Andee Harris

Celeste Headlee

Soledad O'Brien

Jay Smooth

Jud Snyder

Gretchen Carlson

Padma Lakshmi

Charles Duhigg

Steve Edwards

Brian Babylon

Carol Coletta

Shannon Heffernan

Phylicia Rashad

Barbara Starr

Dave Holmes

Deborah Douglas

Tom Brokaw

Nick Turner

Jon Greenberg

Laura Washington

Karen Jordan

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