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

Michael Arndt

Charles Duhigg

Cheryl Corley

Francis Slakey

Andee Harris

Mats Lederhausen

Michael Slaby

Tom Brokaw

Rachel Bronson

Ted Fishman

Mellody Hobson

Barbara Starr

Ben Johnson

Jessica Wohl

Deborah Douglas

Robin Givhan

Peggy Kusinski

Ali Velshi

Dorri McWhorter

Kelly Rizzo

Nick Turner

Desiree Rogers

Laura Desmond

Dan Abrams

Anne Munition

Poppy Harlow

Jason Henrichs

Valerie Lies

Jessica Yellin

Linda Lutton

Stephanie Gosk

Monica Eng

Mick Dumke

Celeste Headlee

Charles Jenkins

Dustin Yellin

Myra Greene

Kavita Shukla

Ally Love

Lin Brehmer

Paris Schutz

Lola Wright

Campbell Brown

Gretchen Carlson

Jane Harman

Brandis Friedman

Katherine Lanpher

Andrew Barber

Soledad O'Brien

Carol Coletta

Eric Becker

Heidi Stevens

Kevin Pang

Eve Ewing

Jud Snyder

Debbie Millman

Kelly Grier

Sonny Garg

Karen Jordan

Amanda Seales

Keisha Howard

Mark Caro

Jamil Smith

Laura Washington

Jenan Mohajir

Gigi Pritzker

Anne-Marie Slaughter

Maryam Saleh

Anne Thompson

Carolina Sarassa

Felicia Lawrence

Jessica Malkin

Meredith Stricker

David Gregory

Sandee Kastrul

Michal Lev-Ram

Adam Benforado

Richard Stengel

Shannon Heffernan

Chuck Salter

Ji Suk Yi

Linda Cohn

Padma Lakshmi

Dave Holmes

Jay Smooth

Odette Yousef

Terri Hemmert

Anil Dash

Cindy Mori

Phylicia Rashad

Steve Edwards

Jessica Clemons

Geoff Brigham

Janet Bodnar

David Brancaccio

Louisa Chu

Val Warner

Kate Sullivan

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