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.

Kelly Leonard

Paris Schutz

Mick Dumke

Cindy Mori

Anne Munition

Melissa Clark

Bob Morgan

Ana Belaval

Ben Johnson

Laura Washington

Ally Love

Chuck Salter

Gigi Pritzker

Anne Thompson

Felicia Lawrence

Michael Slaby

Michael Arndt

Kevin Pang

Tricia Eck

David Brancaccio

Barbara Starr

Geoff Brigham

Cheryl Corley

Kate Grossman

Robin Givhan

Lola Wright

Phylicia Rashad

Michal Lev-Ram

Andee Harris

Padma Lakshmi

Tom Brokaw

Jessica Wohl

Neil Stevenson

Kate Sullivan

Dustin Yellin

Kavita Shukla

Valerie Lies

Jenan Mohajir

Jessica Clemons

Steve Edwards

Keisha Howard

Jason Henrichs

Lin Brehmer

Sonny Garg

Val Warner

Carolina Sarassa

Linda Lutton

Dan Abrams

Anil Dash

Kelly Rizzo

Francis Slakey

Bethany McLean

Anne-Marie Slaughter

Charles Duhigg

Eve Ewing

Ji Suk Yi

Mats Lederhausen

Janet Bodnar

Ted Fishman

Peggy Kusinski

Shannon Heffernan

Rachel Bronson

Campbell Brown

Poppy Harlow

Odette Yousef

Jay Smooth

Debbie Millman

Gretchen Carlson

Jessica Yellin

Jessica Malkin

Amanda Seales

Stephanie Gosk

David Gregory

Eric Becker

Brian Babylon

Charles Jenkins

Meredith Stricker

Mellody Hobson

Terri Hemmert

Brandis Friedman

Jane Harman

Ali Velshi

Monica Eng

Mark Caro

Molly Wood

Jamil Smith

Dorri McWhorter

Myra Greene

Celeste Headlee

Desiree Rogers

Eddie Aruzza

Katherine Lanpher

Deborah Douglas

Linda Cohn

Jessica Grose

Carol Coletta

Maryam Saleh

Adam Benforado

Jud Snyder

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Howard Schultz on the State of Our Nation

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