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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.

Barbara Starr
Dave  Holmes
Keisha Howard
Janet Bodnar
David Brancaccio
Jason  Henrichs
Jane Harman
Ana Belaval
Adam Benforado
Charles Duhigg
Chuck Salter
Mats Lederhausen
Terri Hemmert
Jessica Yellin
Louisa Chu
Linda Cohn
Anne Thompson
Jamil Smith
Karen  Jordan
Jessica Clemons
Gigi  Pritzker
Felicia Lawrence
Brandis Friedman
Michal Lev-Ram
Tom Brokaw
Michael Slaby
Eve Ewing
Amanda  Seales
Soledad O'Brien
Lola Wright
Tricia Eck
Ally Love
Dustin Yellin
Myra Greene
Anne Munition
Bob Morgan
Laura  Washington
Padma Lakshmi
Debbie Millman
Cheryl Corley
Gretchen Carlson
David Gregory
Mellody Hobson
Carolina  Sarassa
Ben Johnson
Laura Desmond
Michael Arndt
Andrew Barber
Jud Snyder
Linda Lutton
Anne-Marie Slaughter
Cal Fussman
Kevin Pang
Mark Caro
Val Warner
Kelly Rizzo
Deborah Douglas
Bobby Ghosh
Kelly Grier
Touré
Robin  Givhan
Celeste Headlee
Kate Sullivan
Jay Smooth
Katherine Lanpher
Richard Stengel
Melissa Clark
Lin Brehmer
Dan Abrams
Paris Schutz
Peggy  Kusinski
Anil Dash
Jessica  Malkin
Molly Wood
Charles Jenkins
Campbell Brown
Kelly  Leonard
Carol Coletta
Eddie  Aruzza
Dorri McWhorter
Shannon Heffernan
Francis Slakey
Eric Becker
Steve Edwards
Maryam Saleh
Sandee Kastrul
Meredith Stricker
Andee Harris
Poppy Harlow
Heidi Stevens
Jessica Wohl
Jessica Grose
Ted  Fishman
Phylicia Rashad
Stephanie  Gosk
Nick  Turner
Neil Stevenson
Brian Babylon
Kate  Grossman
Cindy Mori
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