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.

Touré

Charles Jenkins

Keisha Howard

Bethany McLean

Jessica Yellin

Lin Brehmer

Melissa Clark

Jessica Malkin

Meredith Stricker

Terri Hemmert

Myra Greene

Katherine Lanpher

Mats Lederhausen

Charles Duhigg

Jane Harman

Sonny Garg

Mick Dumke

Eve Ewing

Gigi Pritzker

Ali Velshi

Steve Edwards

Laura Desmond

Shannon Heffernan

Eddie Aruzza

Poppy Harlow

Stephanie Gosk

Dorri McWhorter

Linda Lutton

Bob Morgan

Francis Slakey

Sandee Kastrul

Kelly Leonard

Jud Snyder

Michal Lev-Ram

David Gregory

Cheryl Corley

Mellody Hobson

Kelly Rizzo

Andrew Barber

Tom Brokaw

Karen Jordan

Michael Slaby

Jamil Smith

Jay Smooth

Jessica Wohl

Adam Benforado

Ally Love

Anne Munition

Brandis Friedman

Rachel Bronson

Ted Fishman

Carol Coletta

Jon Greenberg

Kevin Pang

Lola Wright

Maryam Saleh

Desiree Rogers

David Brancaccio

Heidi Stevens

Linda Cohn

Val Warner

Kate Sullivan

Mark Caro

Brian Babylon

Molly Wood

Eric Becker

Michael Arndt

Monica Eng

Carolina Sarassa

Richard Stengel

Padma Lakshmi

Dan Abrams

Amanda Seales

Debbie Millman

Jenan Mohajir

Janet Bodnar

Dave Holmes

Andee Harris

Cindy Mori

Nick Turner

Odette Yousef

Jason Henrichs

Tricia Eck

Chuck Salter

Anil Dash

Dustin Yellin

Jessica Grose

Soledad O'Brien

Bobby Ghosh

Laura Washington

Jessica Clemons

Kavita Shukla

Neil Stevenson

Geoff Brigham

Valerie Lies

Phylicia Rashad

Peggy Kusinski

Kelly Grier

Celeste Headlee

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Howard Schultz on the State of Our Nation

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