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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.

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
Cal Fussman
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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