SIGN UPLOGIN

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.

Peggy  Kusinski
Kavita Shukla
Michael Arndt
Val Warner
Charles Jenkins
Deborah Douglas
Ben Johnson
Michael Slaby
Neil Stevenson
Rachel Bronson
Terri Hemmert
Andee Harris
Kelly Rizzo
Anil Dash
Eric Becker
Debbie Millman
Richard Stengel
Gigi  Pritzker
Felicia Lawrence
Celeste Headlee
Dorri McWhorter
Shannon Heffernan
Jessica  Malkin
Lin Brehmer
Anne-Marie Slaughter
Nick  Turner
Jessica Clemons
Tom Brokaw
Dan Abrams
Bethany McLean
Kelly  Leonard
Laura Desmond
Eve Ewing
Heidi Stevens
Carol Coletta
Steve Edwards
Keisha Howard
Mark Caro
Cindy Mori
Monica Eng
Katherine Lanpher
Brian Babylon
Bobby Ghosh
Jason  Henrichs
Carolina  Sarassa
Padma Lakshmi
Kelly Grier
Paris Schutz
Melissa Clark
Desiree Rogers
Sonny  Garg
Mats Lederhausen
Amanda  Seales
Karen  Jordan
Phylicia Rashad
Linda Cohn
Ji Suk Yi
Eddie  Aruzza
Ally Love
Lola Wright
Mellody Hobson
David Brancaccio
Anne Munition
Robin  Givhan
Jon Greenberg
Valerie Lies
Sandee Kastrul
Jamil Smith
Jenan Mohajir
Jane Harman
Kevin Pang
Dave  Holmes
Touré
Dustin Yellin
Kate Sullivan
Geoff Brigham
Ana Belaval
Kate  Grossman
Jud Snyder
Jessica Wohl
Meredith Stricker
Myra Greene
Andrew Barber
Cheryl Corley
Jay Smooth
Gretchen Carlson
Janet Bodnar
Jessica Grose
David Gregory
Poppy Harlow
Bob Morgan
Louisa Chu
Ali  Velshi
Mick Dumke
Francis Slakey
Adam Benforado
Michal Lev-Ram
Ted  Fishman
Campbell Brown
Laura  Washington
Explore More

Stay in the (west) loop

Get our newsletter