Meet the people behind our Community of Curiosity

The people behind Chicago Ideas, from staff to the Brain Trust to volunteers, come from a massive range of backgrounds to contribute to our mission of accessibility and ideas for everyone.

About our Mission Join our community

Chicago Ideas Team

The Chicago Ideas team focuses on producing world-class events, video and written content, and community outreach aimed at inspiring connection and action around big ideas.

Brad Keywell

Founder & Co-Chairman

Mayor Emanuel

Co-Chairman, Chicago Ideas; Mayor, City of Chicago

Laura Desmond

Co-Chairperson, Chicago Ideas; Principal & Founder, Eagle Vista Partners

Eric Becker

Co-Chairman, Chicago Ideas; Co-Founder, Sterling Partners

Jessica Malkin

CEO, Chicago Ideas

Nadine Apelian Dobbs

Chief Operating Officer

Carrie Kennedy

Executive Producer & Creative Director

Gabrielle Zuckerman

Director of Programming

Amanda Salhoot

Director of Strategic Partnerships

Sona Jones

Director of Marketing & Media

Mel Safford

Director of Booking & The Co-op

Ivy Tzur

Strategic Partnerships Manager

Rachel Graham

Director of YOU(th) Programming

Bonnie Shifrin

Director of Membership

Anthony Conway

Programming Coordinator

Cristina Pineda

Labs Coordinator

Ross Peabody

Ticketing Director & Technology Manager

Julia Dilday

Project Manager for the Bluhm/Helfand Social Innovation Fellowship

Claire Lacy

Senior Designer, Chicago Ideas

Kelli Haywood

YOU(th) Program Manager

Mary McDonnell

Producer

Tom Packard

Director of Event Operations

Isaac Israilevich

Director of Volunteers

Denise Notz

Print Production & Media Manager

Nikki Nemerovski

Strategic Partnerships Coordinator

Board of Directors

Brad Keywell

Founder & Co-Chairman

Jessica Malkin

CEO, Chicago Ideas

Eric Lefkofsky

Co-Founder and CEO, Tempus, Co-Founder and Chairman, Groupon

Patricia Cox

President, KPW Foundation

Sonya Jackson

Founder & Principal, Mantra for Good

Laura Desmond

Co-Chairperson, Chicago Ideas; Principal & Founder, Eagle Vista Partners

Bill Daley

Managing Partner and Head of U.S. Operations, Argentière Capital

Eric Becker

Co-Chairman, Chicago Ideas; Co-Founder, Sterling Partners

Rich Stoddart

CEO, Leo Burnett Worldwide

Brain Trust

What makes Chicago Ideas Week programming so compelling and so distinctly Chicago? The Chicago Ideas Brain Trust is a community of subject-matter experts selected to help shape the CIW program with their unique insights and expertise. Direction from the Brain Trust enables Chicago Ideas to gauge general interest in timely themes, dive deeply into specific topic areas, book exciting and relevant speakers, broaden the CIW audience, and create experiences that impact the entire CIW community.

Israel Idonije

Retired Defensive End, Chicago Bears; Entrepreneur; Philanthropist

Rabiah Mayas

Director, Science and Integrated Strategies

Sonya Jackson

Founder & Principal, Mantra for Good

Neil Stevenson

Executive Portfolio Director, IDEO Chicago

Susan Crown

Founder & Chairman, Susan Crown Exchange

Sonny Garg

Energy Solutions Lead, Uptake

Bethany McLean

Contributing Editor, Vanity Fair

Jay Porter

President, Edelman Chicago

Kim Keywell

Director, Keywell Foundation

Liz Lefkofsky

Executive Director, Lefkofsky Family Foundation

Dennis Watkins

Award-winning Magician

Nabeela Rasheed

Partner, McAndrews, Held & Malloy

Anne Dias-Griffin

Founder & Chief Executive Officer, Dias Holdings

Arne Duncan

Managing Partner, Emerson Collective; Former U.S. Secretary of Education

Matt Gee

Co-Founder & Principal, Impact Lab; Senior Research Scientist, University of Chicago’s Center for...

Ai-jen Poo

Director, National Domestic Workers Alliance; Co-Director, Caring Across Generations Campaign

Gregg Latterman

Music & Entertainment Entrepreneur

Brenna Argall

Assistant Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Physical Medicine and Rehabil...

Wendy Abrams

Principal Shareholder, Medline Industries

Teri Arvesu

Vice President of Content, Univision Chicago

Leslie Bluhm

Co-Founder, Chicago Cares

Lester Coney

Executive Vice President, Office of the Chairman, Mesirow Financial

Nick Kokonas

Founder & CEO, Tock; Co-owner, The Alinea Group: Alinea/Next/The Aviary/Roister

Jenna Kostelnik Utley

Executive Producer, The Oprah Winfrey Network

Adam Waytz

Professor, Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University

Elizabeth Thompson

President, Cleveland Avenue Foundation for Education

Michael Strautmanis

Vice President for Civic Engagement, Obama Foundation

Jacolyn Bucksbaum

Steve Smith

Founder, Smith Devereaux Wines

YOU(th) Advisory Committee

The YOU(th) Advisory Committee supports the CIW YOU(th) program by helping to drive strategy and programming throughout the year. The Committee is made up of entrepreneurs, community leaders, philanthropists and friends of Chicago Ideas who all have a belief that sparking inspiration in Chicago’s YOU(th) can help push them towards a successful future

Ashley Allen, High School Program Director, Horizons for Youth

Lisa Belcher, Youth Advisor

Jeannine Chester, Youth Development Specialist, WOW; Counselor, Hancock, Youth Guidance

Laura Cummings, Managing Director of Program, OneGoal

Shawn Gaines, Director of Marketing & Communications, kCura

Sheila Gutman, Youth Advisor

Daniel Heiniger, B.A.M. Counselor, Little Village, Youth Guidance

Adrienne Imer, Youth Advisor

Scott Issen, President & CEO, Future Founders Foundation

Christopher Jaffe, B.A.M. Program, Strategic Development; Manager, Youth Guidance

Cathy Kahn, Youth Advisor

Ethan Kenvarg, Program Coordinator, Future Founders Foundation