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.

Ben Johnson

Eric Becker

Sandee Kastrul

Kevin Pang

Mellody Hobson

Michal Lev-Ram

Lin Brehmer

Cheryl Corley

Chuck Salter

Kate Grossman

Debbie Millman

Padma Lakshmi

Francis Slakey

Jenan Mohajir

Paris Schutz

Mats Lederhausen

Anil Dash

Jessica Yellin

Nick Turner

Phylicia Rashad

Kelly Leonard

Dorri McWhorter

Gigi Pritzker

Anne Munition

Kelly Grier

Bob Morgan

Geoff Brigham

Rachel Bronson

Molly Wood

Soledad O'Brien

Jay Smooth

Keisha Howard

Jessica Malkin

Mark Caro

Melissa Clark

Eve Ewing

Amanda Seales

Bobby Ghosh

Ana Belaval

Gretchen Carlson

Cindy Mori

Mick Dumke

Barbara Starr

Brandis Friedman

Ted Fishman

Sonny Garg

Myra Greene

Andrew Barber

Tricia Eck

Linda Lutton

Charles Duhigg

Felicia Lawrence

Desiree Rogers

Tom Brokaw

Janet Bodnar

Charles Jenkins

Touré

Ali Velshi

Dustin Yellin

Michael Arndt

Laura Desmond

Kavita Shukla

Laura Washington

Adam Benforado

Valerie Lies

Eddie Aruzza

Jon Greenberg

Terri Hemmert

Celeste Headlee

Jessica Wohl

Shannon Heffernan

Anne-Marie Slaughter

Dave Holmes

Ji Suk Yi

Lola Wright

Heidi Stevens

Robin Givhan

Linda Cohn

Stephanie Gosk

Dan Abrams

Meredith Stricker

Neil Stevenson

Brian Babylon

Richard Stengel

Jessica Grose

Jamil Smith

Michael Slaby

Campbell Brown

Katherine Lanpher

Monica Eng

Poppy Harlow

Kate Sullivan

Bethany McLean

Carol Coletta

Deborah Douglas

Andee Harris

Peggy Kusinski

David Gregory

Steve Edwards

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