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.

Stephanie Gosk

Eddie Aruzza

Dustin Yellin

Eric Becker

Bobby Ghosh

Padma Lakshmi

Nick Turner

Linda Lutton

Jessica Grose

Anne Munition

Sandee Kastrul

David Gregory

Sonny Garg

Terri Hemmert

Laura Desmond

Touré

Jud Snyder

Ji Suk Yi

Poppy Harlow

Jon Greenberg

Kelly Grier

Peggy Kusinski

Desiree Rogers

Dan Abrams

Jay Smooth

Barbara Starr

Jamil Smith

Odette Yousef

Campbell Brown

Linda Cohn

Tom Brokaw

Monica Eng

Shannon Heffernan

Lola Wright

Mark Caro

Anne Thompson

Carol Coletta

Cheryl Corley

Jessica Clemons

Dorri McWhorter

Francis Slakey

Mats Lederhausen

Ben Johnson

Ally Love

Mellody Hobson

Felicia Lawrence

Myra Greene

Tricia Eck

Charles Duhigg

Louisa Chu

Janet Bodnar

Jessica Yellin

Robin Givhan

Bethany McLean

Ted Fishman

Eve Ewing

Anne-Marie Slaughter

Kelly Leonard

Neil Stevenson

Kevin Pang

Heidi Stevens

Mick Dumke

Adam Benforado

Michal Lev-Ram

Kelly Rizzo

Jenan Mohajir

Jessica Malkin

Debbie Millman

Brandis Friedman

Kavita Shukla

David Brancaccio

Amanda Seales

Andrew Barber

Dave Holmes

Phylicia Rashad

Michael Slaby

Gigi Pritzker

Laura Washington

Maryam Saleh

Brian Babylon

Val Warner

Molly Wood

Geoff Brigham

Steve Edwards

Jason Henrichs

Gretchen Carlson

Celeste Headlee

Karen Jordan

Meredith Stricker

Anil Dash

Ali Velshi

Ana Belaval

Paris Schutz

Kate Grossman

Andee Harris

Carolina Sarassa

Kate Sullivan

Deborah Douglas

Michael Arndt

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