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.

Ana Belaval

Jessica Wohl

Dorri McWhorter

David Gregory

Linda Lutton

Ali Velshi

Celeste Headlee

Jessica Clemons

Jay Smooth

Dave Holmes

Ted Fishman

Kate Grossman

Bob Morgan

Stephanie Gosk

Jon Greenberg

Deborah Douglas

Jessica Grose

Mark Caro

Val Warner

Kelly Grier

Anne Thompson

Dustin Yellin

Nick Turner

Kelly Rizzo

Carol Coletta

Mats Lederhausen

Desiree Rogers

Robin Givhan

Anne-Marie Slaughter

Amanda Seales

Anne Munition

Karen Jordan

Mellody Hobson

Cheryl Corley

Kate Sullivan

Paris Schutz

Kavita Shukla

Gigi Pritzker

Odette Yousef

Brandis Friedman

Linda Cohn

Chuck Salter

Brian Babylon

Terri Hemmert

Ben Johnson

Eric Becker

Ally Love

Jessica Malkin

Steve Edwards

Charles Duhigg

Poppy Harlow

Felicia Lawrence

Jessica Yellin

Laura Washington

Meredith Stricker

Myra Greene

Eve Ewing

Monica Eng

Cindy Mori

Sonny Garg

Ji Suk Yi

Richard Stengel

Jamil Smith

Michal Lev-Ram

Touré

Soledad O'Brien

Francis Slakey

Neil Stevenson

Tricia Eck

Laura Desmond

Sandee Kastrul

Bobby Ghosh

Tom Brokaw

Michael Slaby

Keisha Howard

Andee Harris

Heidi Stevens

Jason Henrichs

Jenan Mohajir

Lola Wright

Barbara Starr

Melissa Clark

Geoff Brigham

Bethany McLean

Adam Benforado

Kevin Pang

Carolina Sarassa

Valerie Lies

Rachel Bronson

Padma Lakshmi

Maryam Saleh

Molly Wood

Eddie Aruzza

Louisa Chu

David Brancaccio

Katherine Lanpher

Lin Brehmer

Campbell Brown

Charles Jenkins

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