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.

Michael Arndt

Jessica Malkin

Dave Holmes

Katherine Lanpher

Steve Edwards

Linda Cohn

Heidi Stevens

Geoff Brigham

Mick Dumke

Laura Washington

Jessica Wohl

Phylicia Rashad

Francis Slakey

Anne Munition

Kelly Rizzo

Cindy Mori

Peggy Kusinski

Kelly Grier

Chuck Salter

Nick Turner

Kelly Leonard

Debbie Millman

Jud Snyder

Michal Lev-Ram

David Brancaccio

Richard Stengel

Gretchen Carlson

Bethany McLean

Myra Greene

Jay Smooth

Campbell Brown

Shannon Heffernan

Kavita Shukla

Dustin Yellin

Cheryl Corley

Sandee Kastrul

Charles Duhigg

David Gregory

Rachel Bronson

Kate Grossman

Jessica Clemons

Karen Jordan

Molly Wood

Carol Coletta

Val Warner

Kevin Pang

Eric Becker

Jon Greenberg

Paris Schutz

Padma Lakshmi

Touré

Jason Henrichs

Neil Stevenson

Celeste Headlee

Ali Velshi

Ally Love

Jessica Yellin

Bobby Ghosh

Louisa Chu

Monica Eng

Ji Suk Yi

Keisha Howard

Anne Thompson

Carolina Sarassa

Linda Lutton

Tricia Eck

Mellody Hobson

Stephanie Gosk

Janet Bodnar

Maryam Saleh

Poppy Harlow

Desiree Rogers

Lin Brehmer

Lola Wright

Dan Abrams

Charles Jenkins

Soledad O'Brien

Tom Brokaw

Mark Caro

Mats Lederhausen

Michael Slaby

Terri Hemmert

Ted Fishman

Dorri McWhorter

Kate Sullivan

Jamil Smith

Amanda Seales

Bob Morgan

Jane Harman

Jenan Mohajir

Jessica Grose

Eve Ewing

Felicia Lawrence

Andrew Barber

Brandis Friedman

Sonny Garg

Ana Belaval

Valerie Lies

Eddie Aruzza

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Howard Schultz on the State of Our Nation

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