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.

Kevin Pang

Campbell Brown

Odette Yousef

Nick Turner

Bobby Ghosh

Louisa Chu

Adam Benforado

Michael Arndt

Brandis Friedman

Ted Fishman

Paris Schutz

Touré

Tom Brokaw

Anne Thompson

Rachel Bronson

Jud Snyder

Anne-Marie Slaughter

Amanda Seales

Jon Greenberg

Anil Dash

Francis Slakey

Shannon Heffernan

Neil Stevenson

Eddie Aruzza

Desiree Rogers

Meredith Stricker

Kate Grossman

Cheryl Corley

Linda Cohn

Robin Givhan

Terri Hemmert

Phylicia Rashad

Jessica Malkin

Jessica Yellin

Kavita Shukla

Melissa Clark

Dorri McWhorter

Val Warner

Felicia Lawrence

Richard Stengel

Jessica Wohl

Geoff Brigham

Karen Jordan

Anne Munition

Poppy Harlow

Andrew Barber

Stephanie Gosk

Lin Brehmer

Mick Dumke

Kelly Grier

Ally Love

Padma Lakshmi

Myra Greene

Chuck Salter

Michal Lev-Ram

Charles Jenkins

Ana Belaval

David Gregory

Katherine Lanpher

Kate Sullivan

Jessica Clemons

Brian Babylon

Jay Smooth

Kelly Leonard

Charles Duhigg

Mark Caro

Sonny Garg

Linda Lutton

Carolina Sarassa

Michael Slaby

Mellody Hobson

Janet Bodnar

Celeste Headlee

Gigi Pritzker

Laura Desmond

Carol Coletta

Cindy Mori

Gretchen Carlson

Maryam Saleh

Dave Holmes

Eve Ewing

Ji Suk Yi

Tricia Eck

Dustin Yellin

Keisha Howard

Molly Wood

Ali Velshi

Lola Wright

Jason Henrichs

Jessica Grose

Debbie Millman

Jamil Smith

Ben Johnson

Jenan Mohajir

Andee Harris

Mats Lederhausen

Laura Washington

Deborah Douglas

Valerie Lies

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