Applications for the 2018 Bluhm/Helfand Social Innovation Fellowship are Live

Are you a social entrepreneur under the age of 35? Apply for this one-of-a-kind fellowship to push your venture to the next level

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Upcoming Events

Join us at stage programs and Labs to help you meet the Chicago Ideas community and find ways to get involved.

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Special Engagement

May 15, 7:00pm
The Future of Food in America

Stephanie Izard Executive Chef & Partner, Girl & the Goat and Little Goat

Lab

$15.00, May 22, 5:30pm
Urban Gardening with Green Teens from Gary Comer Youth Center

Worlds Collide

April 19, 12:00pm
Chicago Ideas + Worlds Collide: Member Connection

Conversation

June 18, 7:00pm
Kenny Leon: In Conversation with Phylicia Rashad

Kenny Leon Tony Award–Winning Director

Conversation

April 26, 7:00pm
Navigating Modern Tech Ethics: An Evening with Facebook

Margaret Gould Stewart Vice President, Product Design, Facebook

Big Ideas: A Glimpse of the Future

Discover breathtaking discoveries that give us a glimpse of our tech-filled future

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Talk

How Bad Could a Hack on the US Get?

Natalie Vanatta

Assistant Professor, Army Cyber Institute, United States Military Academy (West Point)

Talk

Ramille Shah on New Advances in Tissue Engineering

Conversation

Can A City Work Like a Startup?

Join us at Member Events All Year Long

The Curiosity Series is just getting started. Chicago Ideas Members can also join us at additional events to connect with one another and experience new ideas.

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Ideas Day gives students the power to create change in their schools

This year marks the inaugural Ideas Day, a new initiative which brings Chicago Ideas-style events into schools throughout Chicago

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Latest Blog Posts

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Speaker Showcase

Writer Nell Scovell Delights During Our Curiosity Series

2018 Line-Up

Introducing the 2018 Curiosity Series

Speaker Showcase

Five Mind-Blowing Facts We Learned from Deepak Chopra

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Make an impact

Find out how we are inspiring action and affecting change in our community.

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Connecting, inspiring and empowering Chicago's future leaders

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Chicago Ideas has become an integral part of the fabric of our city. By bringing together thought leaders from across the globe, it helps establish Chicago as a hub for cutting-edge ideas and innovation.

Mayor Rahm Emanuel

Co-Chairman, Chicago Ideas; Mayor, City of Chicago

Meet the people behind Chicago Ideas

Meet social entrepreneurs who are changing the world

Learn more about the Bluhm/Helfand Social Innovation Fellowship

It's a new-age networking group with one goal in mind: bringing together action-minded individuals ready to make connections and drive meaningful change.