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.

Jamil Smith

Phylicia Rashad

Anil Dash

Gretchen Carlson

Padma Lakshmi

Jessica Wohl

Sandee Kastrul

Gigi Pritzker

Jessica Clemons

Jon Greenberg

Kelly Grier

Ally Love

Poppy Harlow

Jessica Yellin

Adam Benforado

Val Warner

Kate Grossman

Rachel Bronson

Sonny Garg

Ali Velshi

Ted Fishman

Eve Ewing

Melissa Clark

Katherine Lanpher

Dan Abrams

Carolina Sarassa

Paris Schutz

Kavita Shukla

Lola Wright

Maryam Saleh

Shannon Heffernan

Soledad O'Brien

Charles Duhigg

Steve Edwards

Carol Coletta

Mick Dumke

Tricia Eck

Dustin Yellin

Jane Harman

Neil Stevenson

David Gregory

Kelly Leonard

Dorri McWhorter

Ji Suk Yi

Jenan Mohajir

Heidi Stevens

Jessica Malkin

Cheryl Corley

Cindy Mori

David Brancaccio

Eddie Aruzza

Jessica Grose

Peggy Kusinski

Ben Johnson

Karen Jordan

Jay Smooth

Robin Givhan

Anne Thompson

Bobby Ghosh

Brandis Friedman

Ana Belaval

Charles Jenkins

Tom Brokaw

Monica Eng

Michael Arndt

Amanda Seales

Mellody Hobson

Stephanie Gosk

Eric Becker

Touré

Linda Cohn

Mark Caro

Meredith Stricker

Linda Lutton

Jud Snyder

Janet Bodnar

Odette Yousef

Valerie Lies

Kate Sullivan

Andrew Barber

Anne Munition

Deborah Douglas

Bob Morgan

Geoff Brigham

Mats Lederhausen

Laura Washington

Dave Holmes

Campbell Brown

Molly Wood

Celeste Headlee

Michal Lev-Ram

Kelly Rizzo

Keisha Howard

Jason Henrichs

Myra Greene

Richard Stengel

Nick Turner

Brian Babylon

Desiree Rogers

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Howard Schultz on the State of Our Nation

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