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.

Dustin Yellin

Carolina Sarassa

Chuck Salter

Phylicia Rashad

Ally Love

Jay Smooth

Mellody Hobson

Keisha Howard

Katherine Lanpher

Lin Brehmer

Anne-Marie Slaughter

Ben Johnson

Deborah Douglas

Mats Lederhausen

Stephanie Gosk

Jane Harman

Monica Eng

Jessica Yellin

Francis Slakey

Mark Caro

Brian Babylon

Eric Becker

Jessica Wohl

Maryam Saleh

Jessica Grose

Val Warner

Michal Lev-Ram

Dan Abrams

Valerie Lies

Jenan Mohajir

Sonny Garg

Rachel Bronson

Janet Bodnar

Kevin Pang

Lola Wright

Michael Arndt

Andrew Barber

Jessica Malkin

Ali Velshi

Richard Stengel

Myra Greene

Tom Brokaw

Poppy Harlow

Tricia Eck

Heidi Stevens

Kate Sullivan

Linda Cohn

Felicia Lawrence

Meredith Stricker

Jud Snyder

Jessica Clemons

Debbie Millman

Campbell Brown

Charles Duhigg

Robin Givhan

Anne Thompson

Linda Lutton

Laura Desmond

Nick Turner

Kelly Rizzo

Bob Morgan

Padma Lakshmi

Kelly Leonard

Cindy Mori

Eddie Aruzza

Steve Edwards

Dorri McWhorter

Adam Benforado

Bethany McLean

Terri Hemmert

David Brancaccio

Odette Yousef

Anne Munition

Kelly Grier

Ted Fishman

Karen Jordan

Peggy Kusinski

Anil Dash

Molly Wood

Neil Stevenson

Ji Suk Yi

Sandee Kastrul

Mick Dumke

Jamil Smith

Shannon Heffernan

Geoff Brigham

Gretchen Carlson

Michael Slaby

Gigi Pritzker

Eve Ewing

Touré

Laura Washington

Dave Holmes

David Gregory

Kate Grossman

Charles Jenkins

Desiree Rogers

Paris Schutz

Amanda Seales

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Extremely Online: A Conversation About the World of Gaming

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The History of Slavery in Objects

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Helene D. Gayle on the History of Chicago's Wealth Gap

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Yusef Salaam on What He Learned From Adversity

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Jose Antonio Vargas on Immigration Law Reformation

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Ayana Elizabeth Johnson Focuses on Finding Solutions for Ocean Conservation

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Jamie Metzl on Evolution of Technology

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Jose Antonio Vargas Explores What Immigration "Looks Like" Today

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An Exploration of the Trump Administration's Impact on Immigration

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How America's Shrinking Middle Class Will Affect the Economy

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Pete Holmes Explores the Meaning of Life

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David Lynch on Transcendental Meditation

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Bring Your Imagination to Life

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Bashir Salahuddin on Chicago's Creative Scene

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Hebru Brantley on the Story Behind Nevermore

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Listening Between the Lines

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The Power of Your Gene Sequence

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John Carreyrou on Theranos as Silicon Valley Cautionary Tale

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Xavier Ramey Sits Down with Charlamagne Tha God to Talk Black Men & Mental Health

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Do We Really Know the Truth about Men?

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Xavier Ramey Sits Down with Charlamagne Tha God to Talk Black Men & Mental Health

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Full Talk: What Does It Mean To Be a Black Man Today?

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Howard Schultz Sits Down with Mellody Hobson to Talk About What's Next

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Howard Schultz on His Potential 2020 Run

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Former Starbucks Chairman & CEO Shares His Thoughts on What Happened in Philadelphia

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Howard Schultz on the State of Our Nation

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