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.

Carolina Sarassa

Jessica Clemons

Gigi Pritzker

Linda Cohn

Desiree Rogers

Kelly Grier

Ana Belaval

Poppy Harlow

Jessica Malkin

Laura Washington

Andrew Barber

Felicia Lawrence

Soledad O'Brien

Ally Love

Jessica Grose

Robin Givhan

Ali Velshi

Mark Caro

Jessica Wohl

Cindy Mori

Sandee Kastrul

Dan Abrams

Dustin Yellin

Eric Becker

Bob Morgan

Lin Brehmer

Charles Jenkins

Molly Wood

Kate Sullivan

Dorri McWhorter

Brian Babylon

Michael Arndt

Eve Ewing

Peggy Kusinski

Ted Fishman

Geoff Brigham

Jessica Yellin

Keisha Howard

Lola Wright

Gretchen Carlson

Bethany McLean

Laura Desmond

Katherine Lanpher

Tom Brokaw

Campbell Brown

Paris Schutz

Anne Munition

Anil Dash

Ji Suk Yi

Touré

Ben Johnson

Rachel Bronson

Amanda Seales

Neil Stevenson

Francis Slakey

Chuck Salter

Charles Duhigg

Jon Greenberg

Shannon Heffernan

Steve Edwards

Cheryl Corley

Tricia Eck

Louisa Chu

Michael Slaby

Adam Benforado

Kevin Pang

Brandis Friedman

Jay Smooth

Jamil Smith

Eddie Aruzza

David Brancaccio

Val Warner

Mick Dumke

Meredith Stricker

Mellody Hobson

David Gregory

Dave Holmes

Mats Lederhausen

Karen Jordan

Sonny Garg

Nick Turner

Celeste Headlee

Jason Henrichs

Linda Lutton

Kavita Shukla

Anne Thompson

Kelly Rizzo

Stephanie Gosk

Michal Lev-Ram

Valerie Lies

Maryam Saleh

Terri Hemmert

Kelly Leonard

Myra Greene

Odette Yousef

Bobby Ghosh

Kate Grossman

Jud Snyder

Deborah Douglas

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Howard Schultz on the State of Our Nation

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