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.

Dustin Yellin

Carol Coletta

Bob Morgan

Jason Henrichs

Ally Love

Felicia Lawrence

Ali Velshi

Jenan Mohajir

Michael Arndt

Jessica Grose

Jessica Clemons

Michael Slaby

Meredith Stricker

Poppy Harlow

Debbie Millman

Deborah Douglas

Ji Suk Yi

Paris Schutz

Robin Givhan

Sonny Garg

Heidi Stevens

Jud Snyder

Charles Duhigg

Kate Sullivan

Steve Edwards

Dave Holmes

Francis Slakey

Laura Washington

Molly Wood

Cindy Mori

Anne Thompson

Campbell Brown

Anne-Marie Slaughter

Ben Johnson

Odette Yousef

Jay Smooth

Neil Stevenson

Celeste Headlee

Jessica Wohl

David Gregory

Keisha Howard

Mick Dumke

Bethany McLean

Mellody Hobson

Katherine Lanpher

Brandis Friedman

Chuck Salter

Val Warner

Carolina Sarassa

Touré

Terri Hemmert

Padma Lakshmi

Michal Lev-Ram

Tom Brokaw

Gigi Pritzker

Desiree Rogers

Jane Harman

Louisa Chu

Kevin Pang

Rachel Bronson

Mats Lederhausen

Valerie Lies

David Brancaccio

Barbara Starr

Dorri McWhorter

Kelly Leonard

Jamil Smith

Geoff Brigham

Ted Fishman

Eve Ewing

Linda Lutton

Phylicia Rashad

Amanda Seales

Soledad O'Brien

Gretchen Carlson

Anne Munition

Linda Cohn

Lola Wright

Kate Grossman

Mark Caro

Charles Jenkins

Dan Abrams

Tricia Eck

Ana Belaval

Jessica Yellin

Brian Babylon

Eric Becker

Peggy Kusinski

Anil Dash

Shannon Heffernan

Laura Desmond

Kelly Grier

Kelly Rizzo

Stephanie Gosk

Andrew Barber

Andee Harris

Janet Bodnar

Jessica Malkin

Kavita Shukla

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Howard Schultz on the State of Our Nation

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