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.

Myra Greene

Jessica Yellin

Jud Snyder

Peggy Kusinski

Andrew Barber

Deborah Douglas

Bethany McLean

Stephanie Gosk

Kelly Leonard

Mellody Hobson

Meredith Stricker

Jessica Malkin

Nick Turner

Keisha Howard

Jessica Clemons

Ally Love

Kelly Grier

Jamil Smith

Ji Suk Yi

Tricia Eck

Amanda Seales

Ted Fishman

Mark Caro

Sonny Garg

Geoff Brigham

Charles Duhigg

Jon Greenberg

Dorri McWhorter

Cheryl Corley

Laura Desmond

Janet Bodnar

Gigi Pritzker

David Brancaccio

Chuck Salter

Francis Slakey

Poppy Harlow

Dave Holmes

Linda Lutton

Maryam Saleh

Carolina Sarassa

Melissa Clark

Adam Benforado

Felicia Lawrence

Michal Lev-Ram

Jane Harman

Andee Harris

Steve Edwards

Jenan Mohajir

Carol Coletta

Louisa Chu

Dustin Yellin

David Gregory

Rachel Bronson

Val Warner

Soledad O'Brien

Neil Stevenson

Cindy Mori

Phylicia Rashad

Bob Morgan

Campbell Brown

Laura Washington

Molly Wood

Bobby Ghosh

Jessica Wohl

Monica Eng

Sandee Kastrul

Debbie Millman

Eric Becker

Richard Stengel

Charles Jenkins

Terri Hemmert

Jason Henrichs

Odette Yousef

Anne-Marie Slaughter

Anne Munition

Dan Abrams

Desiree Rogers

Anne Thompson

Lola Wright

Padma Lakshmi

Kelly Rizzo

Kate Grossman

Valerie Lies

Barbara Starr

Touré

Ben Johnson

Paris Schutz

Kevin Pang

Robin Givhan

Tom Brokaw

Shannon Heffernan

Ana Belaval

Lin Brehmer

Eddie Aruzza

Linda Cohn

Karen Jordan

Kate Sullivan

Mats Lederhausen

Mick Dumke

Brandis Friedman

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