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.

Maryam Saleh

Eve Ewing

Terri Hemmert

Lola Wright

Jessica Malkin

Soledad O'Brien

Jamil Smith

Desiree Rogers

Michael Arndt

Felicia Lawrence

Anne-Marie Slaughter

Jenan Mohajir

Chuck Salter

Molly Wood

Kate Sullivan

Shannon Heffernan

Lin Brehmer

Gretchen Carlson

Mats Lederhausen

Ben Johnson

Andee Harris

Kavita Shukla

Barbara Starr

Celeste Headlee

Jane Harman

Jon Greenberg

Peggy Kusinski

Kate Grossman

Keisha Howard

Tricia Eck

Ted Fishman

Dave Holmes

Jessica Yellin

Debbie Millman

Bob Morgan

Stephanie Gosk

David Gregory

Carolina Sarassa

Amanda Seales

Louisa Chu

Phylicia Rashad

Dorri McWhorter

David Brancaccio

Linda Cohn

Monica Eng

Eric Becker

Kelly Grier

Robin Givhan

Campbell Brown

Jay Smooth

Brian Babylon

Jud Snyder

Anne Thompson

Linda Lutton

Sonny Garg

Steve Edwards

Janet Bodnar

Touré

Laura Washington

Cheryl Corley

Richard Stengel

Anil Dash

Ali Velshi

Myra Greene

Valerie Lies

Laura Desmond

Karen Jordan

Andrew Barber

Jessica Clemons

Val Warner

Charles Jenkins

Neil Stevenson

Kevin Pang

Michal Lev-Ram

Anne Munition

Sandee Kastrul

Kelly Rizzo

Heidi Stevens

Eddie Aruzza

Cindy Mori

Ana Belaval

Charles Duhigg

Jessica Grose

Paris Schutz

Dustin Yellin

Nick Turner

Meredith Stricker

Mick Dumke

Jason Henrichs

Carol Coletta

Odette Yousef

Padma Lakshmi

Adam Benforado

Tom Brokaw

Mark Caro

Kelly Leonard

Bethany McLean

Melissa Clark

Katherine Lanpher

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