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.

Rachel Bronson

Bethany McLean

Campbell Brown

Lin Brehmer

Heidi Stevens

Poppy Harlow

Monica Eng

Nick Turner

Francis Slakey

Padma Lakshmi

Jud Snyder

Kavita Shukla

Felicia Lawrence

Laura Desmond

Carol Coletta

Bobby Ghosh

Melissa Clark

Eddie Aruzza

Phylicia Rashad

Jessica Grose

Ben Johnson

David Gregory

Charles Duhigg

Myra Greene

Karen Jordan

Lola Wright

Kate Sullivan

Brian Babylon

Keisha Howard

Soledad O'Brien

Molly Wood

Maryam Saleh

Kelly Rizzo

Jason Henrichs

Ted Fishman

Dan Abrams

Andee Harris

Janet Bodnar

Kevin Pang

Robin Givhan

Carolina Sarassa

Kelly Leonard

Neil Stevenson

Jessica Wohl

Geoff Brigham

Dorri McWhorter

Chuck Salter

Deborah Douglas

Steve Edwards

Louisa Chu

David Brancaccio

Mellody Hobson

Kate Grossman

Linda Lutton

Michael Arndt

Meredith Stricker

Mats Lederhausen

Linda Cohn

Ji Suk Yi

Sandee Kastrul

Jane Harman

Jenan Mohajir

Anil Dash

Anne-Marie Slaughter

Gretchen Carlson

Celeste Headlee

Mick Dumke

Touré

Debbie Millman

Eric Becker

Barbara Starr

Dave Holmes

Amanda Seales

Laura Washington

Odette Yousef

Jessica Malkin

Bob Morgan

Jay Smooth

Andrew Barber

Richard Stengel

Peggy Kusinski

Jessica Yellin

Val Warner

Terri Hemmert

Valerie Lies

Gigi Pritzker

Tricia Eck

Adam Benforado

Desiree Rogers

Ali Velshi

Shannon Heffernan

Tom Brokaw

Charles Jenkins

Cheryl Corley

Jessica Clemons

Brandis Friedman

Dustin Yellin

Cindy Mori

Jamil Smith

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