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.

Adam Benforado

Brian Babylon

Laura Desmond

Bobby Ghosh

Dustin Yellin

Ben Johnson

Linda Cohn

Eddie Aruzza

Linda Lutton

Peggy Kusinski

Kate Sullivan

Poppy Harlow

Andrew Barber

Touré

Anil Dash

Brandis Friedman

Jon Greenberg

Campbell Brown

Stephanie Gosk

Carol Coletta

Laura Washington

Michal Lev-Ram

Anne Thompson

Jay Smooth

Nick Turner

Mats Lederhausen

Sandee Kastrul

Jessica Clemons

Kate Grossman

Eric Becker

Kelly Grier

Ted Fishman

Bob Morgan

Gretchen Carlson

Phylicia Rashad

Mark Caro

Gigi Pritzker

Jessica Yellin

Jamil Smith

Janet Bodnar

Soledad O'Brien

Ji Suk Yi

Eve Ewing

Kavita Shukla

Debbie Millman

Paris Schutz

Mick Dumke

Desiree Rogers

Louisa Chu

Jason Henrichs

Dorri McWhorter

Val Warner

Jud Snyder

Dave Holmes

Chuck Salter

Heidi Stevens

Francis Slakey

Jane Harman

Steve Edwards

Mellody Hobson

Anne-Marie Slaughter

Valerie Lies

Carolina Sarassa

Amanda Seales

Jessica Wohl

Cindy Mori

Maryam Saleh

Felicia Lawrence

Charles Jenkins

Keisha Howard

Charles Duhigg

Celeste Headlee

Jenan Mohajir

Robin Givhan

Myra Greene

Deborah Douglas

Dan Abrams

David Brancaccio

Meredith Stricker

Rachel Bronson

Karen Jordan

Kelly Leonard

Jessica Grose

Kelly Rizzo

Terri Hemmert

Monica Eng

Neil Stevenson

Molly Wood

Cheryl Corley

Odette Yousef

Shannon Heffernan

Jessica Malkin

Tom Brokaw

Katherine Lanpher

Michael Slaby

Barbara Starr

Geoff Brigham

Tricia Eck

Ally Love

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

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Howard Schultz on the State of Our Nation

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