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.

Michal Lev-Ram

Debbie Millman

Bob Morgan

Jessica Clemons

Ted Fishman

Kelly Grier

Celeste Headlee

Dorri McWhorter

Michael Arndt

Jon Greenberg

Francis Slakey

Mark Caro

Ally Love

Jessica Malkin

Ana Belaval

Tom Brokaw

David Brancaccio

Desiree Rogers

Phylicia Rashad

Mats Lederhausen

Meredith Stricker

Stephanie Gosk

Brian Babylon

Katherine Lanpher

Charles Duhigg

Laura Desmond

Ali Velshi

Val Warner

Gigi Pritzker

Kate Grossman

David Gregory

Carol Coletta

Gretchen Carlson

Anne-Marie Slaughter

Jason Henrichs

Padma Lakshmi

Keisha Howard

Dave Holmes

Terri Hemmert

Myra Greene

Paris Schutz

Jessica Wohl

Anil Dash

Jenan Mohajir

Chuck Salter

Mellody Hobson

Dustin Yellin

Cheryl Corley

Jamil Smith

Peggy Kusinski

Nick Turner

Jessica Yellin

Jud Snyder

Barbara Starr

Robin Givhan

Kavita Shukla

Lin Brehmer

Heidi Stevens

Jay Smooth

Poppy Harlow

Lola Wright

Soledad O'Brien

Dan Abrams

Kate Sullivan

Touré

Mick Dumke

Janet Bodnar

Neil Stevenson

Kelly Leonard

Brandis Friedman

Jessica Grose

Adam Benforado

Monica Eng

Molly Wood

Ben Johnson

Bobby Ghosh

Bethany McLean

Carolina Sarassa

Eddie Aruzza

Steve Edwards

Cindy Mori

Sonny Garg

Deborah Douglas

Melissa Clark

Tricia Eck

Geoff Brigham

Richard Stengel

Linda Cohn

Anne Thompson

Shannon Heffernan

Rachel Bronson

Louisa Chu

Michael Slaby

Valerie Lies

Karen Jordan

Eve Ewing

Andrew Barber

Linda Lutton

Charles Jenkins

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