Chicago Ideas Announces 2018 Chicago Ideas Week Speaker Lineup

CHICAGO, Sept. 6, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The lineup for Chicago Ideas Week (CIW) 2018 – one of the largest and most affordable ideas festivals in the world – has officially been released with member tickets on sale now at ChicagoIdeas.com. The eighth annual seven-day festival will span from October 15 – 21, featuring over 150 global thought leaders and world-renowned speakers on topics from the criminal justice system to #TimesUp; tackling life's taboos to the polarization of politics and beyond. Each program will leave attendees thinking about what they can do to take action in their lives, communities and beyond.

"As we launch our eight annual Chicago Ideas Week, it is exciting to see how the platform has grown and evolved to become a year-round institution that is deeply engaged and owned by our community," said Jessica Malkin, CEO of Chicago Ideas. "We plan to continue to expand our programs, labs and youth engagement with the sustained belief that by creating engagement opportunities around emerging ideas and content, we can be a catalyst for positive economic and social change and will therefore build a better connected community."

An estimated 30,000 attendees from Chicago and across the world are expected to attend the week of curated events. Along with action-oriented discussions hitting on today's critical cultural and social issues, Chicago Ideas partners with organizations across Chicago to offer exclusive, hands-on Labs where attendees can learn anything from a recording session with a Grammy-nominated artist to modern-day postcard activism with political tech startups. Chicago Ideas is also excited to be presenting a reimagined daylong premier event called Ideas Day which will feature two 90-min morning programs at the Harris Theater followed by activations in Chicago neighborhoods to help attendees take action at the moment of inspiration.

Speakers and events are being added weekly. Curated events include:

• Raising Your Hand: What Leadership Looks Like in 2018: Rolling Stone editor Jamil Smith will host Mitch Landrieu, former Mayor of New Orleans, artist and writer Molly Crabapple, Founder & CEO of Define America, Jose Antonio Vargas and author and activist David Hogg;
• The Future of #TimesUp: What's Next?: Actress Amber Tamblyn, the Head of the Times Up Legal Defense Fund Tina Tchen and President of ROC United Saru Jayaram;
• A New Day for Criminal Justice in Chicago: Chicago Circuit Court Judge Colleen Sheehan and Prosecutor Impact Founder Adam Foss on the future of criminal justice in America;
• Life's Big Questions: Ponder the unknown with Sec. John Kerry, author Daniel Pink and actress Ellie Kemper;
• Radical Creators: How Artists Are Defining the Zeitgeist: Meet cultural disruptors including rapper Boots Riley and TV producer Krista Vernoff to hear how they're using their platforms to shape the future in an era of intense American debate;
• Fear(less): Explore the trappings of fear with former U.S. HUD Secretary Julian Castro, the founder of the My Stealthy Freedom Movement Masih Alinejad, and comedian Chris Gethard;
• Tackling Taboos: Push the boundaries of conversation around sex, age and life's other taboos with journalist Emily Witt, iconic fashion designer Norma Kamali and actress Yvonne Orji of HBO's Insecure; and
• The Party is Over: How America Will Get Past its Polarized Politics: Exploring today's political landscape with presidential historian and author Jon Meacham.

Additional panel conversation topics include "Rethinking Urban Renewal" which will explore responsible urban redevelopment with a focus on The Barack Obama Presidential Center; "Artificial Intelligence: Stop Fearing It and Start Understanding It" to address the near-term implications of AI; "Two Miles, 16 Years: Chicago's Health Gap is a Crisis" with West Side United; a discussion on the power dynamics of block chain; and "Losing My Religion: How Millennials Are Changing the Way We Gather" which will address the transformation of communal spaces.

General admission tickets will be available starting September 18, with most tickets offered at only $15. Onstage events will be hosted at the Harris Theater, Venue Six10 and the Museum of Contemporary Art with hands-on Lab events hosted at 90 venues throughout the city.

Chicago Ideas is generously supported by Cornerstone Partners Keywell Foundation, Ernst & Young LLP, Kimpton Hotels; Official Integrated Marketing Partner Starcom Mediavest Group; Official Creative Partner Leo Burnett; Official Communications Partner Edelman; Platinum Partners Xfinity, Table XI; Gold Partners Chicago Community Trust, Mike's Hard Lemonade, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Spredfast, Susan Crown Exchange, PepsiCo; Contributing Partners Abbvie, American Institute of Architects, Bartlit Beck Herman Palenchar & Scott LLP, Bluhm/Helfand Social Innovation Fellowship, Capital One, CBRE, Cresset Capital, DePaul University, Envestnet, Horizon Pharma, Ink Factory, Lifeway Foods, and Notre Dame Mendoza School of Business; Exclusive Furniture Partner Knoll; Silver Partners Alvin H. Baum Family Fund, ArcelorMittal, Innerworkings, Kresge Foundation, Lefkofsky Family Foundation, MillerCoors, NetJets, PwC, Red Bull, Rio Tinto, sweetgreens, Sylvan/Laureate Foundation, The Marketing Store; Curiosity Partner Fairlife; and Lab Partners Bluedog, GEMS World Academy, HERE Technologies, Slalom Consulting, Solstice, and W20.

Media Partners at Chicago Ideas include Crain's Chicago Business, Captivate, Clear Channel Airports, Clear Channel Outdoor, iHeart Media, Michigan Avenue Magazine, Univision, WBEZ, and WGN Radio

The full list of speakers and events is available at ChicagoIdeas.com. Join the conversation online by using #ChicagoIdeas, and follow @ChicagoIdeas on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for more information.

ABOUT CHICAGO IDEAS
Chicago Ideas is a nonprofit platform built on one core belief: When audiences of every background have access to thought leaders and innovative ideas, people have the power to spark change in the world. Chicago Ideas is hosting Chicago Ideas Week (CIW) October 15-21, which is the largest affordable ideas festival in the world, connecting attendees to more than 150 world-renowned speakers—but Chicago Ideas' efforts extend much further. Whether it's robust year-round programming, over 100 Labs that offer exclusive looks into Chicago-based businesses and cultural institutions, an engaging youth program that promotes leadership and personal development among under-represented Chicago high school students or a digital news platform that highlights innovative people and organizations, Chicago Ideas is helping make visionary ideas accessible to everyone. Chicago Ideas is a 501(c)(3) organization. Learn more about becoming a member at Chicagoideas.com/membership.

  

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