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.

Andrew Barber

Barbara Starr

Michal Lev-Ram

Anil Dash

Kate Grossman

Melissa Clark

Maryam Saleh

Anne Munition

Chuck Salter

Celeste Headlee

Mats Lederhausen

Padma Lakshmi

Jessica Wohl

Robin Givhan

Cindy Mori

Myra Greene

Shannon Heffernan

Touré

Jessica Grose

Bethany McLean

Gigi Pritzker

Jessica Clemons

Mellody Hobson

Jud Snyder

Jessica Malkin

Bobby Ghosh

Keisha Howard

Cheryl Corley

Dustin Yellin

Stephanie Gosk

Valerie Lies

Sonny Garg

David Gregory

David Brancaccio

Richard Stengel

Eve Ewing

Heidi Stevens

Gretchen Carlson

Jane Harman

Molly Wood

Francis Slakey

Deborah Douglas

Kelly Rizzo

Bob Morgan

Amanda Seales

Ji Suk Yi

Louisa Chu

Tricia Eck

Carol Coletta

Meredith Stricker

Laura Washington

Poppy Harlow

Campbell Brown

Ted Fishman

Peggy Kusinski

Kelly Grier

Kate Sullivan

Janet Bodnar

Phylicia Rashad

Lin Brehmer

Steve Edwards

Carolina Sarassa

Monica Eng

Jason Henrichs

Andee Harris

Mick Dumke

Eric Becker

Geoff Brigham

Kavita Shukla

Jon Greenberg

Nick Turner

Soledad O'Brien

Mark Caro

Linda Lutton

Kelly Leonard

Linda Cohn

Laura Desmond

Adam Benforado

Rachel Bronson

Ben Johnson

Kevin Pang

Dan Abrams

Terri Hemmert

Val Warner

Charles Duhigg

Odette Yousef

Dorri McWhorter

Anne-Marie Slaughter

Ally Love

Desiree Rogers

Brandis Friedman

Jenan Mohajir

Neil Stevenson

Ana Belaval

Michael Slaby

Felicia Lawrence

Dave Holmes

Katherine Lanpher

Sandee Kastrul

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