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.

Kelly Grier

Jenan Mohajir

Myra Greene

Tricia Eck

Dustin Yellin

Andee Harris

Soledad O'Brien

Deborah Douglas

Anil Dash

Michael Arndt

Mats Lederhausen

Nick Turner

Dan Abrams

Touré

Shannon Heffernan

Steve Edwards

Mark Caro

Phylicia Rashad

Tom Brokaw

David Gregory

Bobby Ghosh

Jessica Clemons

Jane Harman

Mellody Hobson

Desiree Rogers

Jamil Smith

Ben Johnson

Cindy Mori

Kelly Leonard

Richard Stengel

David Brancaccio

Maryam Saleh

Melissa Clark

Geoff Brigham

Kate Grossman

Carol Coletta

Charles Duhigg

Michael Slaby

Anne Munition

Cheryl Corley

Jay Smooth

Stephanie Gosk

Gretchen Carlson

Lola Wright

Terri Hemmert

Ted Fishman

Heidi Stevens

Linda Cohn

Kevin Pang

Robin Givhan

Valerie Lies

Laura Desmond

Jessica Malkin

Poppy Harlow

Anne-Marie Slaughter

Francis Slakey

Amanda Seales

Celeste Headlee

Dave Holmes

Katherine Lanpher

Chuck Salter

Laura Washington

Dorri McWhorter

Adam Benforado

Kelly Rizzo

Neil Stevenson

Debbie Millman

Paris Schutz

Ana Belaval

Peggy Kusinski

Brian Babylon

Keisha Howard

Brandis Friedman

Michal Lev-Ram

Jud Snyder

Lin Brehmer

Karen Jordan

Ali Velshi

Eric Becker

Padma Lakshmi

Eve Ewing

Ji Suk Yi

Linda Lutton

Rachel Bronson

Jon Greenberg

Carolina Sarassa

Molly Wood

Sonny Garg

Jason Henrichs

Eddie Aruzza

Bethany McLean

Jessica Yellin

Bob Morgan

Campbell Brown

Monica Eng

Jessica Grose

Val Warner

Kavita Shukla

Mick Dumke

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