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.

Monica Eng

Andee Harris

Michal Lev-Ram

Richard Stengel

Keisha Howard

Deborah Douglas

Desiree Rogers

Amanda Seales

Kavita Shukla

Eric Becker

Louisa Chu

Heidi Stevens

Dustin Yellin

Andrew Barber

Sandee Kastrul

Paris Schutz

Jenan Mohajir

Chuck Salter

Poppy Harlow

Felicia Lawrence

Myra Greene

Bethany McLean

Jessica Grose

Mats Lederhausen

Brian Babylon

Jessica Yellin

Campbell Brown

Anil Dash

Odette Yousef

Phylicia Rashad

Linda Cohn

Neil Stevenson

Ted Fishman

Gigi Pritzker

Eve Ewing

Kate Sullivan

Molly Wood

Michael Arndt

Terri Hemmert

Tom Brokaw

Katherine Lanpher

Mellody Hobson

Kelly Leonard

Karen Jordan

Padma Lakshmi

Tricia Eck

Mick Dumke

Dan Abrams

Celeste Headlee

Ali Velshi

Janet Bodnar

Steve Edwards

Bobby Ghosh

Lin Brehmer

Rachel Bronson

Maryam Saleh

Bob Morgan

Jason Henrichs

Cheryl Corley

Ben Johnson

Eddie Aruzza

Jon Greenberg

Laura Washington

Melissa Clark

Peggy Kusinski

Lola Wright

Robin Givhan

Dave Holmes

Anne-Marie Slaughter

Kevin Pang

David Gregory

Jane Harman

Ana Belaval

Touré

Dorri McWhorter

Linda Lutton

Debbie Millman

Adam Benforado

Kelly Rizzo

Brandis Friedman

Laura Desmond

Val Warner

Jessica Malkin

David Brancaccio

Gretchen Carlson

Jud Snyder

Anne Munition

Carol Coletta

Geoff Brigham

Sonny Garg

Soledad O'Brien

Meredith Stricker

Cindy Mori

Jamil Smith

Jessica Wohl

Anne Thompson

Kate Grossman

Jay Smooth

Nick Turner

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Howard Schultz on the State of Our Nation

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