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.

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

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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