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.

Andrew Barber

Tricia Eck

Laura Desmond

Tom Brokaw

Bethany McLean

Ana Belaval

Louisa Chu

Amanda Seales

Bob Morgan

Sonny Garg

Lola Wright

Jay Smooth

Anne Munition

Kate Grossman

Desiree Rogers

Barbara Starr

Peggy Kusinski

Kelly Leonard

Lin Brehmer

Richard Stengel

Karen Jordan

Dorri McWhorter

Nick Turner

Gigi Pritzker

Meredith Stricker

Anil Dash

Eddie Aruzza

Cindy Mori

Bobby Ghosh

Heidi Stevens

David Brancaccio

Ji Suk Yi

Katherine Lanpher

Jenan Mohajir

Laura Washington

Linda Lutton

Ali Velshi

Michael Slaby

Campbell Brown

Keisha Howard

Sandee Kastrul

Brandis Friedman

Jon Greenberg

Dustin Yellin

Phylicia Rashad

Ally Love

Neil Stevenson

Terri Hemmert

Michal Lev-Ram

Chuck Salter

Valerie Lies

Myra Greene

Kevin Pang

Anne Thompson

Jessica Clemons

Jamil Smith

Stephanie Gosk

Charles Jenkins

Dave Holmes

Felicia Lawrence

Jud Snyder

Mark Caro

Jason Henrichs

Mellody Hobson

Michael Arndt

Carolina Sarassa

Val Warner

Ted Fishman

Francis Slakey

Molly Wood

Jessica Grose

Dan Abrams

Deborah Douglas

Janet Bodnar

Jessica Malkin

Melissa Clark

Maryam Saleh

Touré

Kavita Shukla

Gretchen Carlson

Charles Duhigg

Jessica Wohl

Eric Becker

Mick Dumke

Robin Givhan

Linda Cohn

Carol Coletta

Ben Johnson

Adam Benforado

Rachel Bronson

David Gregory

Monica Eng

Padma Lakshmi

Paris Schutz

Mats Lederhausen

Kate Sullivan

Shannon Heffernan

Debbie Millman

Brian Babylon

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