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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.

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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