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.

Laura Washington

Dave Holmes

Felicia Lawrence

Eve Ewing

Ted Fishman

Nick Turner

Ana Belaval

Adam Benforado

Heidi Stevens

Laura Desmond

Gigi Pritzker

Charles Jenkins

Dustin Yellin

Barbara Starr

Robin Givhan

Monica Eng

Lin Brehmer

Rachel Bronson

Molly Wood

Kavita Shukla

Campbell Brown

Tricia Eck

Karen Jordan

Katherine Lanpher

Meredith Stricker

Kelly Rizzo

Jessica Clemons

Phylicia Rashad

Jamil Smith

Louisa Chu

Carolina Sarassa

Neil Stevenson

Val Warner

David Gregory

Geoff Brigham

Steve Edwards

Jason Henrichs

Poppy Harlow

Jessica Grose

Ben Johnson

Ali Velshi

Eddie Aruzza

David Brancaccio

Amanda Seales

Gretchen Carlson

Jon Greenberg

Tom Brokaw

Stephanie Gosk

Brandis Friedman

Peggy Kusinski

Desiree Rogers

Shannon Heffernan

Valerie Lies

Jane Harman

Jessica Wohl

Bethany McLean

Soledad O'Brien

Deborah Douglas

Jessica Malkin

Kevin Pang

Dan Abrams

Cindy Mori

Carol Coletta

Bobby Ghosh

Eric Becker

Janet Bodnar

Chuck Salter

Linda Lutton

Melissa Clark

Keisha Howard

Charles Duhigg

Richard Stengel

Padma Lakshmi

Mellody Hobson

Mick Dumke

Michael Arndt

Anne Thompson

Kelly Grier

Andee Harris

Francis Slakey

Mats Lederhausen

Odette Yousef

Mark Caro

Anil Dash

Kelly Leonard

Sonny Garg

Anne-Marie Slaughter

Paris Schutz

Anne Munition

Cheryl Corley

Brian Babylon

Celeste Headlee

Terri Hemmert

Kate Grossman

Jenan Mohajir

Debbie Millman

Michael Slaby

Dorri McWhorter

Kate Sullivan

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