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.

Soledad O'Brien

Gretchen Carlson

Jason Henrichs

Tricia Eck

Michael Slaby

Jon Greenberg

Kelly Rizzo

Jay Smooth

Jessica Malkin

Rachel Bronson

Lola Wright

Touré

Brandis Friedman

Kevin Pang

Dorri McWhorter

Mark Caro

Celeste Headlee

Valerie Lies

Dustin Yellin

Debbie Millman

Molly Wood

Andrew Barber

Jamil Smith

Adam Benforado

Laura Washington

Lin Brehmer

David Gregory

Ted Fishman

Eve Ewing

Val Warner

Jud Snyder

Barbara Starr

Eddie Aruzza

Nick Turner

Cheryl Corley

Anne Thompson

Carolina Sarassa

Ali Velshi

Shannon Heffernan

Campbell Brown

Bob Morgan

Andee Harris

Dave Holmes

Robin Givhan

Jessica Yellin

Padma Lakshmi

Sonny Garg

Heidi Stevens

Francis Slakey

Jane Harman

Anne-Marie Slaughter

David Brancaccio

Cindy Mori

Brian Babylon

Katherine Lanpher

Kate Sullivan

Jessica Clemons

Steve Edwards

Maryam Saleh

Anne Munition

Linda Lutton

Kelly Leonard

Laura Desmond

Charles Duhigg

Anil Dash

Richard Stengel

Mellody Hobson

Peggy Kusinski

Sandee Kastrul

Terri Hemmert

Linda Cohn

Dan Abrams

Jessica Wohl

Melissa Clark

Ji Suk Yi

Myra Greene

Kelly Grier

Ally Love

Ana Belaval

Keisha Howard

Kavita Shukla

Bobby Ghosh

Paris Schutz

Karen Jordan

Michael Arndt

Gigi Pritzker

Michal Lev-Ram

Mats Lederhausen

Amanda Seales

Phylicia Rashad

Stephanie Gosk

Monica Eng

Felicia Lawrence

Tom Brokaw

Bethany McLean

Charles Jenkins

Neil Stevenson

Poppy Harlow

Kate Grossman

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