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.

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

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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