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.

Felicia Lawrence

Ted Fishman

Brian Babylon

Meredith Stricker

Jessica Wohl

Anne Thompson

Paris Schutz

Brandis Friedman

Eric Becker

Heidi Stevens

Michael Slaby

Padma Lakshmi

Karen Jordan

Debbie Millman

Soledad O'Brien

Ben Johnson

Ji Suk Yi

Kate Grossman

Barbara Starr

Michael Arndt

Carolina Sarassa

Jessica Malkin

Sonny Garg

Laura Washington

Gretchen Carlson

Bobby Ghosh

Kelly Leonard

Odette Yousef

Kelly Rizzo

Jessica Clemons

Phylicia Rashad

Ally Love

Dave Holmes

Michal Lev-Ram

Jessica Yellin

Celeste Headlee

Jessica Grose

Tricia Eck

Peggy Kusinski

Monica Eng

Carol Coletta

Steve Edwards

Anil Dash

Adam Benforado

Robin Givhan

Geoff Brigham

Myra Greene

David Gregory

Bob Morgan

Linda Lutton

Ana Belaval

Kevin Pang

Lola Wright

Kavita Shukla

Bethany McLean

Nick Turner

Andee Harris

Tom Brokaw

Francis Slakey

Eve Ewing

Cindy Mori

Dorri McWhorter

Neil Stevenson

Kelly Grier

Terri Hemmert

Gigi Pritzker

Keisha Howard

Anne-Marie Slaughter

Louisa Chu

Charles Jenkins

Amanda Seales

Dustin Yellin

Jenan Mohajir

Molly Wood

Sandee Kastrul

Richard Stengel

Linda Cohn

Mellody Hobson

Chuck Salter

Touré

Maryam Saleh

Ali Velshi

Cheryl Corley

Mick Dumke

Laura Desmond

Charles Duhigg

Jay Smooth

Val Warner

Desiree Rogers

Deborah Douglas

Stephanie Gosk

Shannon Heffernan

Jane Harman

Mats Lederhausen

Dan Abrams

Katherine Lanpher

Jud Snyder

Jon Greenberg

Rachel Bronson

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