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.

Touré

Laura Washington

Lola Wright

Meredith Stricker

Dorri McWhorter

Jessica Grose

Jay Smooth

Eddie Aruzza

Jessica Wohl

Kelly Rizzo

Heidi Stevens

Mats Lederhausen

Carolina Sarassa

Linda Cohn

Tricia Eck

Bob Morgan

Francis Slakey

Monica Eng

Anil Dash

Ji Suk Yi

Mellody Hobson

Maryam Saleh

Ted Fishman

Barbara Starr

Michal Lev-Ram

Kevin Pang

Jenan Mohajir

Geoff Brigham

Laura Desmond

Janet Bodnar

Charles Jenkins

Molly Wood

Jason Henrichs

Campbell Brown

Nick Turner

Paris Schutz

Gigi Pritzker

Carol Coletta

Lin Brehmer

Valerie Lies

Jane Harman

Eric Becker

Peggy Kusinski

Val Warner

Sonny Garg

Michael Arndt

Steve Edwards

Chuck Salter

Mick Dumke

Jessica Yellin

David Brancaccio

Terri Hemmert

Ali Velshi

Charles Duhigg

Katherine Lanpher

Rachel Bronson

Gretchen Carlson

Jessica Malkin

Jud Snyder

Brandis Friedman

Kelly Leonard

Cheryl Corley

Stephanie Gosk

Kate Grossman

Anne Thompson

Kavita Shukla

Eve Ewing

Amanda Seales

Michael Slaby

Odette Yousef

Phylicia Rashad

Myra Greene

Dave Holmes

Andee Harris

Felicia Lawrence

Linda Lutton

Robin Givhan

Deborah Douglas

Soledad O'Brien

Padma Lakshmi

Bethany McLean

Keisha Howard

Shannon Heffernan

Tom Brokaw

Celeste Headlee

Jamil Smith

Ana Belaval

Jessica Clemons

Adam Benforado

David Gregory

Andrew Barber

Louisa Chu

Neil Stevenson

Anne-Marie Slaughter

Anne Munition

Dustin Yellin

Melissa Clark

Bobby Ghosh

Mark Caro

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