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.

Cheryl Corley

Rachel Bronson

Jay Smooth

Soledad O'Brien

Eve Ewing

Carol Coletta

Barbara Starr

Padma Lakshmi

Heidi Stevens

Neil Stevenson

Sandee Kastrul

Andrew Barber

Tom Brokaw

Laura Washington

Jamil Smith

Jessica Grose

Poppy Harlow

Sonny Garg

Stephanie Gosk

Linda Lutton

Valerie Lies

Meredith Stricker

Dan Abrams

Ali Velshi

Lola Wright

Lin Brehmer

Kate Grossman

Mick Dumke

Deborah Douglas

Kevin Pang

Celeste Headlee

Jason Henrichs

Anne Munition

Janet Bodnar

Mats Lederhausen

Amanda Seales

Keisha Howard

Touré

Bobby Ghosh

Jessica Malkin

Kelly Leonard

David Gregory

Charles Duhigg

Maryam Saleh

Jessica Wohl

Jane Harman

Tricia Eck

Gretchen Carlson

Ben Johnson

Phylicia Rashad

Geoff Brigham

Adam Benforado

Anne-Marie Slaughter

Gigi Pritzker

Richard Stengel

Michael Slaby

Linda Cohn

Steve Edwards

Carolina Sarassa

Shannon Heffernan

Brandis Friedman

Bob Morgan

Ana Belaval

Kate Sullivan

Dave Holmes

Anil Dash

Bethany McLean

Dorri McWhorter

Kelly Rizzo

Eddie Aruzza

Katherine Lanpher

Jessica Yellin

Louisa Chu

Molly Wood

Andee Harris

Brian Babylon

Francis Slakey

Campbell Brown

Ally Love

Robin Givhan

Michal Lev-Ram

Mellody Hobson

Peggy Kusinski

Laura Desmond

Kavita Shukla

Debbie Millman

Michael Arndt

Chuck Salter

Jenan Mohajir

Felicia Lawrence

Desiree Rogers

Myra Greene

Mark Caro

Monica Eng

Dustin Yellin

Jessica Clemons

Nick Turner

Ji Suk Yi

Melissa Clark

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