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.

Linda Cohn

Monica Eng

Mick Dumke

Jud Snyder

Kate Grossman

Anne Thompson

Robin Givhan

Desiree Rogers

Ji Suk Yi

Melissa Clark

Amanda Seales

Heidi Stevens

Soledad O'Brien

Padma Lakshmi

Lin Brehmer

Karen Jordan

Kelly Leonard

Brian Babylon

Tom Brokaw

Tricia Eck

Carolina Sarassa

Chuck Salter

Maryam Saleh

Nick Turner

Sonny Garg

Eric Becker

Brandis Friedman

Dave Holmes

Anil Dash

Val Warner

Bethany McLean

Charles Duhigg

Ali Velshi

Lola Wright

Shannon Heffernan

Stephanie Gosk

Louisa Chu

Dan Abrams

Cindy Mori

Steve Edwards

Felicia Lawrence

Touré

Carol Coletta

Ben Johnson

Linda Lutton

Terri Hemmert

Celeste Headlee

Dorri McWhorter

Rachel Bronson

Jessica Wohl

Bob Morgan

Jon Greenberg

Jamil Smith

Peggy Kusinski

Ally Love

Keisha Howard

Jessica Malkin

Poppy Harlow

Anne-Marie Slaughter

Meredith Stricker

Molly Wood

Michael Arndt

Jason Henrichs

Mark Caro

Francis Slakey

Cheryl Corley

Bobby Ghosh

Valerie Lies

Eddie Aruzza

Eve Ewing

Gretchen Carlson

Charles Jenkins

Odette Yousef

Jenan Mohajir

Campbell Brown

Janet Bodnar

David Gregory

Sandee Kastrul

Phylicia Rashad

Mats Lederhausen

Richard Stengel

Debbie Millman

Ted Fishman

Michael Slaby

Michal Lev-Ram

Laura Washington

Kelly Grier

Barbara Starr

Deborah Douglas

Adam Benforado

Myra Greene

Neil Stevenson

Anne Munition

Katherine Lanpher

Jay Smooth

Mellody Hobson

Jane Harman

Gigi Pritzker

David Brancaccio

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