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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:

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.

Katherine Lanpher
Odette Yousef
Ali  Velshi
Touré
Jessica  Malkin
Eddie  Aruzza
Adam Benforado
Andee Harris
Ben Johnson
Charles Jenkins
Felicia Lawrence
Kavita Shukla
Chuck Salter
Melissa Clark
Ally Love
Sandee Kastrul
Bethany McLean
Ji Suk Yi
Carolina  Sarassa
Soledad O'Brien
Linda Cohn
Geoff Brigham
Cheryl Corley
Linda Lutton
Sonny  Garg
Phylicia Rashad
Anil Dash
Mats Lederhausen
David Gregory
Michael Arndt
Kelly  Leonard
Deborah Douglas
Kelly Rizzo
Francis Slakey
Meredith Stricker
Mellody Hobson
Steve Edwards
Eric Becker
Jamil Smith
Poppy Harlow
Nick  Turner
Peggy  Kusinski
Bob Morgan
Jason  Henrichs
Mark Caro
Shannon Heffernan
Eve Ewing
Anne-Marie Slaughter
Kevin Pang
Jon Greenberg
Keisha Howard
Jessica Yellin
Mick Dumke
Jay Smooth
Rachel Bronson
Stephanie  Gosk
Jessica Grose
Kelly Grier
Heidi Stevens
Ana Belaval
Louisa Chu
Jenan Mohajir
Tom Brokaw
Molly Wood
Bobby Ghosh
Dave  Holmes
Desiree Rogers
Laura  Washington
Val Warner
David Brancaccio
Brian Babylon
Amanda  Seales
Jessica Wohl
Cal Fussman
Anne Munition
Cindy Mori
Gretchen Carlson
Jane Harman
Paris Schutz
Neil Stevenson
Dustin Yellin
Monica Eng
Dorri McWhorter
Kate  Grossman
Debbie Millman
Ted  Fishman
Brandis Friedman
Jessica Clemons
Gigi  Pritzker
Charles Duhigg
Anne Thompson
Celeste Headlee
Jud Snyder
Maryam Saleh
Lin Brehmer
Valerie Lies
Michal Lev-Ram
Karen  Jordan
Lola Wright
Kate Sullivan
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