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.

Anne-Marie Slaughter

Bobby Ghosh

Mark Caro

Michael Slaby

Dan Abrams

Katherine Lanpher

Ted Fishman

Steve Edwards

Ben Johnson

Carolina Sarassa

Jon Greenberg

Richard Stengel

Celeste Headlee

Eric Becker

Jessica Clemons

Ana Belaval

Carol Coletta

Karen Jordan

Louisa Chu

Lola Wright

Jessica Malkin

Mick Dumke

Jamil Smith

Kelly Leonard

Chuck Salter

Dustin Yellin

Jane Harman

Michal Lev-Ram

Sandee Kastrul

Eve Ewing

Phylicia Rashad

Poppy Harlow

Terri Hemmert

Robin Givhan

Adam Benforado

Ji Suk Yi

Dave Holmes

Janet Bodnar

Maryam Saleh

Linda Cohn

Jessica Wohl

Mats Lederhausen

Anil Dash

Kelly Grier

Mellody Hobson

Tricia Eck

Francis Slakey

Monica Eng

Debbie Millman

Rachel Bronson

Jay Smooth

Jud Snyder

Eddie Aruzza

Myra Greene

Charles Duhigg

Jenan Mohajir

Kate Grossman

Touré

Nick Turner

Andee Harris

Peggy Kusinski

Anne Munition

Charles Jenkins

Amanda Seales

Paris Schutz

Deborah Douglas

Michael Arndt

Brian Babylon

Campbell Brown

Heidi Stevens

Jason Henrichs

Kavita Shukla

Felicia Lawrence

Val Warner

Neil Stevenson

Lin Brehmer

Cheryl Corley

Kevin Pang

Tom Brokaw

Shannon Heffernan

Andrew Barber

Bob Morgan

Jessica Grose

Padma Lakshmi

Laura Desmond

Sonny Garg

Valerie Lies

Jessica Yellin

Brandis Friedman

David Gregory

Anne Thompson

Odette Yousef

Gretchen Carlson

Dorri McWhorter

Soledad O'Brien

Ally Love

Ali Velshi

Cindy Mori

Kate Sullivan

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Howard Schultz on the State of Our Nation

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