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.

Linda Lutton

Charles Duhigg

Linda Cohn

Robin Givhan

Mark Caro

Barbara Starr

Celeste Headlee

Valerie Lies

Dan Abrams

Odette Yousef

Brian Babylon

Carol Coletta

Carolina Sarassa

Jon Greenberg

Nick Turner

Kelly Leonard

Eric Becker

Jenan Mohajir

Chuck Salter

David Gregory

Mellody Hobson

Cindy Mori

Ben Johnson

Andee Harris

Jessica Yellin

Michael Slaby

Eddie Aruzza

Gretchen Carlson

Jessica Malkin

Mats Lederhausen

Geoff Brigham

Anil Dash

Tricia Eck

Monica Eng

Louisa Chu

Andrew Barber

Dorri McWhorter

Mick Dumke

Val Warner

Kate Grossman

Kelly Grier

Jason Henrichs

Kevin Pang

Melissa Clark

Myra Greene

Lin Brehmer

Steve Edwards

Anne Thompson

Jessica Clemons

Poppy Harlow

Touré

Heidi Stevens

Ana Belaval

Michael Arndt

Katherine Lanpher

Tom Brokaw

Jay Smooth

Laura Desmond

Neil Stevenson

Bob Morgan

Laura Washington

Kate Sullivan

Debbie Millman

Sandee Kastrul

Jud Snyder

Rachel Bronson

Amanda Seales

Richard Stengel

Stephanie Gosk

Terri Hemmert

Jamil Smith

Ji Suk Yi

Jessica Wohl

Padma Lakshmi

Janet Bodnar

Cheryl Corley

Bobby Ghosh

Ally Love

Campbell Brown

Adam Benforado

Jessica Grose

Brandis Friedman

Phylicia Rashad

Molly Wood

Meredith Stricker

Sonny Garg

Maryam Saleh

Soledad O'Brien

Peggy Kusinski

Charles Jenkins

Dave Holmes

Anne-Marie Slaughter

Eve Ewing

Ted Fishman

Bethany McLean

Keisha Howard

Kavita Shukla

Jane Harman

Desiree Rogers

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