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.

Adam Benforado

Jane Harman

Lin Brehmer

Bob Morgan

Mick Dumke

Padma Lakshmi

Eddie Aruzza

Katherine Lanpher

Celeste Headlee

Jon Greenberg

Maryam Saleh

Peggy Kusinski

Linda Lutton

Cindy Mori

Poppy Harlow

Desiree Rogers

Kelly Leonard

Jamil Smith

Campbell Brown

Kelly Rizzo

Rachel Bronson

Jud Snyder

Dave Holmes

Anne Thompson

Jessica Wohl

Ji Suk Yi

Ally Love

Francis Slakey

Michael Arndt

Jessica Grose

Laura Desmond

Jessica Clemons

Molly Wood

Jenan Mohajir

Kevin Pang

Sandee Kastrul

Monica Eng

Ted Fishman

Kavita Shukla

Deborah Douglas

Soledad O'Brien

Michael Slaby

Keisha Howard

Carolina Sarassa

Mats Lederhausen

Cheryl Corley

Myra Greene

Charles Duhigg

Kate Sullivan

Karen Jordan

Anne-Marie Slaughter

Tricia Eck

Sonny Garg

Anne Munition

Heidi Stevens

Nick Turner

Shannon Heffernan

Meredith Stricker

Valerie Lies

Dorri McWhorter

Kelly Grier

Ben Johnson

Phylicia Rashad

Laura Washington

Ana Belaval

Dan Abrams

Steve Edwards

David Gregory

Janet Bodnar

Debbie Millman

Ali Velshi

David Brancaccio

Jessica Yellin

Bobby Ghosh

Eric Becker

Barbara Starr

Gigi Pritzker

Linda Cohn

Richard Stengel

Andee Harris

Michal Lev-Ram

Paris Schutz

Gretchen Carlson

Odette Yousef

Andrew Barber

Tom Brokaw

Geoff Brigham

Val Warner

Robin Givhan

Jason Henrichs

Carol Coletta

Amanda Seales

Anil Dash

Melissa Clark

Brandis Friedman

Kate Grossman

Louisa Chu

Chuck Salter

Bethany McLean

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