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.

Mick Dumke

Tom Brokaw

Andee Harris

Peggy Kusinski

Debbie Millman

Molly Wood

Padma Lakshmi

Cindy Mori

Bob Morgan

Valerie Lies

Kelly Rizzo

Jud Snyder

Richard Stengel

Adam Benforado

Anne Thompson

Charles Jenkins

Janet Bodnar

Kate Sullivan

Geoff Brigham

Jessica Wohl

Poppy Harlow

Linda Lutton

Sandee Kastrul

Deborah Douglas

Jon Greenberg

Ally Love

Eric Becker

Melissa Clark

Tricia Eck

Brandis Friedman

Jessica Yellin

Ana Belaval

Michael Slaby

Ben Johnson

Kevin Pang

Laura Washington

Nick Turner

Carolina Sarassa

Soledad O'Brien

Dave Holmes

Monica Eng

Chuck Salter

Kelly Leonard

Desiree Rogers

Jane Harman

Jay Smooth

Anne-Marie Slaughter

Lola Wright

Katherine Lanpher

Jamil Smith

Robin Givhan

Touré

Heidi Stevens

Felicia Lawrence

Jason Henrichs

Andrew Barber

Jessica Malkin

Ali Velshi

Myra Greene

Dan Abrams

Campbell Brown

Eve Ewing

Dustin Yellin

David Gregory

Dorri McWhorter

Mellody Hobson

Celeste Headlee

Keisha Howard

Anil Dash

Jessica Grose

Terri Hemmert

Lin Brehmer

David Brancaccio

Odette Yousef

Jessica Clemons

Gretchen Carlson

Charles Duhigg

Stephanie Gosk

Mats Lederhausen

Brian Babylon

Eddie Aruzza

Ted Fishman

Carol Coletta

Sonny Garg

Kate Grossman

Meredith Stricker

Gigi Pritzker

Bobby Ghosh

Maryam Saleh

Francis Slakey

Barbara Starr

Rachel Bronson

Anne Munition

Bethany McLean

Kavita Shukla

Val Warner

Paris Schutz

Steve Edwards

Amanda Seales

Jenan Mohajir

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