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.

Phylicia Rashad

Tom Brokaw

Kelly Leonard

Chuck Salter

Anne-Marie Slaughter

Louisa Chu

Maryam Saleh

Ben Johnson

Anne Thompson

Steve Edwards

Eve Ewing

Brian Babylon

Jane Harman

Kate Grossman

Celeste Headlee

Jamil Smith

Anil Dash

Sonny Garg

Katherine Lanpher

Linda Lutton

Monica Eng

Odette Yousef

Felicia Lawrence

Shannon Heffernan

Michael Slaby

Eric Becker

Anne Munition

Jessica Wohl

Peggy Kusinski

Touré

Deborah Douglas

Ted Fishman

Carol Coletta

Tricia Eck

Val Warner

Linda Cohn

Desiree Rogers

Bob Morgan

Sandee Kastrul

Rachel Bronson

David Brancaccio

Barbara Starr

Heidi Stevens

Gretchen Carlson

Amanda Seales

Jenan Mohajir

Dave Holmes

Laura Desmond

Myra Greene

Neil Stevenson

Karen Jordan

Jessica Clemons

Lola Wright

Adam Benforado

Richard Stengel

Mark Caro

Nick Turner

Gigi Pritzker

Debbie Millman

Brandis Friedman

Lin Brehmer

Andee Harris

Keisha Howard

Paris Schutz

Eddie Aruzza

Bobby Ghosh

Francis Slakey

Jessica Grose

Campbell Brown

Dorri McWhorter

Michal Lev-Ram

Robin Givhan

Kavita Shukla

Cindy Mori

Charles Jenkins

Mick Dumke

Jason Henrichs

Dan Abrams

Kelly Grier

Meredith Stricker

Ana Belaval

Cheryl Corley

Mats Lederhausen

Dustin Yellin

Valerie Lies

Charles Duhigg

Padma Lakshmi

Terri Hemmert

Stephanie Gosk

Melissa Clark

Bethany McLean

Jay Smooth

Kevin Pang

Janet Bodnar

Jessica Malkin

Ji Suk Yi

Ally Love

Soledad O'Brien

Geoff Brigham

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Howard Schultz on the State of Our Nation

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