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.

Neil Stevenson

Jessica Clemons

Sandee Kastrul

Michal Lev-Ram

Charles Duhigg

Kelly Rizzo

Paris Schutz

Celeste Headlee

Jane Harman

Dan Abrams

Desiree Rogers

Jon Greenberg

Katherine Lanpher

Campbell Brown

Chuck Salter

Touré

Valerie Lies

Laura Desmond

Anil Dash

Cindy Mori

Melissa Clark

Heidi Stevens

Ali Velshi

Sonny Garg

Dorri McWhorter

Bobby Ghosh

Dustin Yellin

Gretchen Carlson

Carolina Sarassa

Bethany McLean

Mick Dumke

David Brancaccio

Odette Yousef

Kevin Pang

Tom Brokaw

Jessica Yellin

Louisa Chu

Poppy Harlow

Mellody Hobson

Myra Greene

Kelly Leonard

Carol Coletta

Monica Eng

Adam Benforado

Anne-Marie Slaughter

Jenan Mohajir

Barbara Starr

Michael Slaby

Jud Snyder

Terri Hemmert

Jamil Smith

Shannon Heffernan

Andee Harris

Maryam Saleh

Charles Jenkins

Dave Holmes

Jessica Malkin

Padma Lakshmi

Robin Givhan

Cheryl Corley

Richard Stengel

Val Warner

Ben Johnson

Andrew Barber

Lola Wright

Brandis Friedman

Geoff Brigham

Anne Thompson

Anne Munition

Laura Washington

Ted Fishman

Francis Slakey

Kelly Grier

Keisha Howard

Nick Turner

Jay Smooth

Kate Sullivan

Karen Jordan

Jason Henrichs

Jessica Wohl

Rachel Bronson

Bob Morgan

Ally Love

Amanda Seales

Mats Lederhausen

Kate Grossman

Phylicia Rashad

Deborah Douglas

Felicia Lawrence

Jessica Grose

Mark Caro

Lin Brehmer

Meredith Stricker

Michael Arndt

Linda Lutton

Steve Edwards

Ji Suk Yi

David Gregory

Stephanie Gosk

Soledad O'Brien

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The History of Slavery in Objects

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Helene D. Gayle on the History of Chicago's Wealth Gap

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Ayana Elizabeth Johnson Focuses on Finding Solutions for Ocean Conservation

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Jose Antonio Vargas Explores What Immigration "Looks Like" Today

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Pete Holmes Explores the Meaning of Life

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Bring Your Imagination to Life

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Bashir Salahuddin on Chicago's Creative Scene

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Hebru Brantley on the Story Behind Nevermore

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Xavier Ramey Sits Down with Charlamagne Tha God to Talk Black Men & Mental Health

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Xavier Ramey Sits Down with Charlamagne Tha God to Talk Black Men & Mental Health

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Full Talk: What Does It Mean To Be a Black Man Today?

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Howard Schultz Sits Down with Mellody Hobson to Talk About What's Next

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Howard Schultz on His Potential 2020 Run

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Former Starbucks Chairman & CEO Shares His Thoughts on What Happened in Philadelphia

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Howard Schultz on the State of Our Nation

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