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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:

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.

Valerie Lies
Gigi  Pritzker
Terri Hemmert
Andrew Barber
Mick Dumke
Laura Desmond
Jon Greenberg
Stephanie  Gosk
Bob Morgan
Phylicia Rashad
Tom Brokaw
Michael Arndt
Karen  Jordan
Carolina  Sarassa
Bethany McLean
Eve Ewing
Dorri McWhorter
Maryam Saleh
Geoff Brigham
Chuck Salter
Jane Harman
Anne-Marie Slaughter
Jessica Wohl
Soledad O'Brien
Keisha Howard
Sonny  Garg
Deborah Douglas
Jay Smooth
Linda Cohn
Jessica Yellin
Barbara Starr
Carol Coletta
Kate Sullivan
Adam Benforado
Cheryl Corley
Charles Jenkins
Kate  Grossman
Bobby Ghosh
Brandis Friedman
David Gregory
Meredith Stricker
Cal Fussman
Jud Snyder
Shannon Heffernan
Tricia Eck
Nick  Turner
Heidi Stevens
Anne Thompson
Robin  Givhan
Jessica Grose
Paris Schutz
Kelly  Leonard
Padma Lakshmi
Felicia Lawrence
Lola Wright
Touré
Mats Lederhausen
Poppy Harlow
Odette Yousef
Ted  Fishman
Steve Edwards
Andee Harris
Kelly Rizzo
Ji Suk Yi
Melissa Clark
Mark Caro
Monica Eng
Michael Slaby
Lin Brehmer
Anne Munition
Charles Duhigg
Eric Becker
Katherine Lanpher
Jessica Clemons
Jamil Smith
Ana Belaval
Rachel Bronson
Amanda  Seales
Dustin Yellin
Gretchen Carlson
Molly Wood
Michal Lev-Ram
Richard Stengel
Laura  Washington
Campbell Brown
Jenan Mohajir
Celeste Headlee
Anil Dash
Dan Abrams
David Brancaccio
Jessica  Malkin
Brian Babylon
Louisa Chu
Ali  Velshi
Myra Greene
Cindy Mori
Debbie Millman
Kavita Shukla
Ally Love
Peggy  Kusinski
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