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.

Carol Coletta

Stephanie Gosk

Keisha Howard

Jay Smooth

Kate Grossman

Jon Greenberg

Ana Belaval

Jessica Grose

Kavita Shukla

Janet Bodnar

Carolina Sarassa

Dan Abrams

Shannon Heffernan

Melissa Clark

Mark Caro

Dave Holmes

Jason Henrichs

Touré

Valerie Lies

Dustin Yellin

Cheryl Corley

Kelly Rizzo

Jessica Wohl

Jessica Malkin

Karen Jordan

Dorri McWhorter

Jessica Clemons

Myra Greene

Jamil Smith

Deborah Douglas

Anne-Marie Slaughter

Katherine Lanpher

Robin Givhan

Steve Edwards

Linda Cohn

Felicia Lawrence

Sandee Kastrul

Kelly Leonard

Jessica Yellin

Phylicia Rashad

Kate Sullivan

Terri Hemmert

Andee Harris

Amanda Seales

Nick Turner

Anne Munition

Brian Babylon

Bob Morgan

Chuck Salter

Kelly Grier

Ali Velshi

Poppy Harlow

Anil Dash

Monica Eng

Barbara Starr

Tricia Eck

Campbell Brown

Louisa Chu

Ji Suk Yi

Gretchen Carlson

Padma Lakshmi

Odette Yousef

Kevin Pang

Ally Love

Brandis Friedman

Molly Wood

Richard Stengel

David Brancaccio

Soledad O'Brien

Jenan Mohajir

Michal Lev-Ram

Charles Duhigg

Ted Fishman

Andrew Barber

Michael Arndt

Francis Slakey

Eve Ewing

Eddie Aruzza

Val Warner

Laura Washington

Adam Benforado

Eric Becker

Mats Lederhausen

Tom Brokaw

Linda Lutton

David Gregory

Mellody Hobson

Maryam Saleh

Ben Johnson

Debbie Millman

Cindy Mori

Neil Stevenson

Geoff Brigham

Heidi Stevens

Paris Schutz

Laura Desmond

Rachel Bronson

Desiree Rogers

Gigi Pritzker

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Howard Schultz on the State of Our Nation

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