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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.

Peggy  Kusinski
Jessica Clemons
Mellody Hobson
Molly Wood
Jay Smooth
Stephanie  Gosk
Kate  Grossman
Jessica Grose
Cheryl Corley
Mats Lederhausen
Mick Dumke
Meredith Stricker
Jamil Smith
Adam Benforado
Gretchen Carlson
Ji Suk Yi
Richard Stengel
Val Warner
Charles Duhigg
Kate Sullivan
Rachel Bronson
Poppy Harlow
Campbell Brown
Jenan Mohajir
Anne Thompson
Maryam Saleh
Robin  Givhan
Dan Abrams
Jessica Yellin
Touré
Kelly  Leonard
Janet Bodnar
Kevin Pang
Francis Slakey
Deborah Douglas
David Gregory
Phylicia Rashad
Lola Wright
Ben Johnson
Carol Coletta
Ana Belaval
Michael Arndt
Chuck Salter
Tricia Eck
Geoff Brigham
Padma Lakshmi
Nick  Turner
Andrew Barber
Anne-Marie Slaughter
Keisha Howard
Neil Stevenson
Shannon Heffernan
Kavita Shukla
Heidi Stevens
Eddie  Aruzza
Amanda  Seales
Cal Fussman
Anne Munition
Michal Lev-Ram
Barbara Starr
Laura Desmond
Bob Morgan
Dustin Yellin
Andee Harris
Kelly Rizzo
Soledad O'Brien
Michael Slaby
David Brancaccio
Lin Brehmer
Cindy Mori
Mark Caro
Anil Dash
Celeste Headlee
Felicia Lawrence
Valerie Lies
Linda Cohn
Debbie Millman
Jessica  Malkin
Gigi  Pritzker
Jessica Wohl
Brandis Friedman
Eric Becker
Linda Lutton
Bethany McLean
Steve Edwards
Ali  Velshi
Jane Harman
Louisa Chu
Sonny  Garg
Terri Hemmert
Kelly Grier
Desiree Rogers
Jon Greenberg
Carolina  Sarassa
Charles Jenkins
Dave  Holmes
Bobby Ghosh
Myra Greene
Jason  Henrichs
Laura  Washington
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