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.

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

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