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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:

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.

Charles Jenkins
Gretchen Carlson
Kelly Grier
Ali  Velshi
Dave  Holmes
Rachel Bronson
Kelly Rizzo
Jessica Clemons
Kate Sullivan
Ji Suk Yi
Jessica Yellin
Jenan Mohajir
Poppy Harlow
Michael Slaby
Tricia Eck
Carolina  Sarassa
Carol Coletta
Mick Dumke
Peggy  Kusinski
Tom Brokaw
Melissa Clark
Neil Stevenson
Steve Edwards
Kelly  Leonard
Dorri McWhorter
David Brancaccio
Mats Lederhausen
Anne Thompson
Ally Love
Cheryl Corley
Campbell Brown
Jessica Grose
Monica Eng
Paris Schutz
Jessica  Malkin
Charles Duhigg
Valerie Lies
Lola Wright
Desiree Rogers
Sonny  Garg
Michael Arndt
Jessica Wohl
Anne-Marie Slaughter
Ted  Fishman
Barbara Starr
Phylicia Rashad
Ben Johnson
Myra Greene
Jason  Henrichs
Jon Greenberg
Jay Smooth
Touré
Shannon Heffernan
Debbie Millman
Katherine Lanpher
Bob Morgan
Eve Ewing
Felicia Lawrence
Bobby Ghosh
Eddie  Aruzza
Mark Caro
Dustin Yellin
Andrew Barber
Michal Lev-Ram
Molly Wood
Sandee Kastrul
Bethany McLean
Amanda  Seales
Robin  Givhan
Linda Cohn
Heidi Stevens
Brandis Friedman
Jamil Smith
Kavita Shukla
Lin Brehmer
Adam Benforado
Geoff Brigham
Nick  Turner
Janet Bodnar
Cal Fussman
Meredith Stricker
David Gregory
Dan Abrams
Ana Belaval
Louisa Chu
Celeste Headlee
Richard Stengel
Karen  Jordan
Stephanie  Gosk
Kevin Pang
Francis Slakey
Jud Snyder
Soledad O'Brien
Chuck Salter
Mellody Hobson
Laura  Washington
Linda Lutton
Gigi  Pritzker
Eric Becker
Laura Desmond
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