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.

Mick Dumke

Mellody Hobson

Terri Hemmert

Sandee Kastrul

Odette Yousef

Anne-Marie Slaughter

Val Warner

Kate Grossman

Kelly Leonard

Neil Stevenson

Eric Becker

Jon Greenberg

Ji Suk Yi

Kevin Pang

Maryam Saleh

Stephanie Gosk

Gretchen Carlson

Debbie Millman

Ali Velshi

Jason Henrichs

Cheryl Corley

Mark Caro

Heidi Stevens

Michal Lev-Ram

David Gregory

Rachel Bronson

Celeste Headlee

Dustin Yellin

Janet Bodnar

Ben Johnson

Louisa Chu

Michael Arndt

Sonny Garg

Monica Eng

Ana Belaval

Lola Wright

Keisha Howard

Meredith Stricker

Shannon Heffernan

Anne Thompson

Bethany McLean

Molly Wood

Eve Ewing

Jessica Malkin

Soledad O'Brien

Tom Brokaw

Valerie Lies

Padma Lakshmi

Steve Edwards

Dave Holmes

Jane Harman

Adam Benforado

Peggy Kusinski

Anil Dash

Brian Babylon

Charles Duhigg

Jay Smooth

Lin Brehmer

Campbell Brown

Cindy Mori

Kavita Shukla

Kelly Rizzo

Andrew Barber

Nick Turner

Bobby Ghosh

Michael Slaby

Carol Coletta

Jessica Wohl

Deborah Douglas

Gigi Pritzker

Richard Stengel

Katherine Lanpher

David Brancaccio

Jessica Yellin

Myra Greene

Dan Abrams

Francis Slakey

Jamil Smith

Linda Lutton

Laura Washington

Jessica Grose

Robin Givhan

Eddie Aruzza

Jenan Mohajir

Chuck Salter

Paris Schutz

Bob Morgan

Barbara Starr

Brandis Friedman

Karen Jordan

Jessica Clemons

Kate Sullivan

Laura Desmond

Kelly Grier

Ally Love

Ted Fishman

Melissa Clark

Desiree Rogers

Geoff Brigham

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