Best of Chicago Ideas

The Academy Award-winning actress Gwyneth Paltrow tells the story behind the lifestyle and wellness brand she founded, Goop, alongside the company's former CEO Lisa Gersh in conversation with Johnson Publishing CEO Desiree Rogers.

Sebastian Junger, the New York Times best-selling author of "War" and "The Perfect Storm," discusses the difficulties veterans face when returning from war. Addressing the rising rates of depression and post-traumatic stress disorder, Junger illuminates how these long-term issues are, by and large, preventable.

In today's episode, Reshma Saujani, the Founder of the nonprofit organization Girls Who Code, speaks about her goal of teaching one million girls how to code by 2020. Through her organization, Saujani is working to make the tech industry more open, accessible and welcoming to women of all ages.

Sal Khan, the founder and CEO of the Khan Academy, digs deep into the flawed thinking surrounding education. Khan has worked to provide free, world-class education for people anywhere and everywhere, and here, Khan addresses whether or not it's possible to make education a human right.

California Senator Kamala Harris discusses our flawed approach to criminal justice. Here, she offers paths forward, ones that focus on the humanity of people in the criminal justice system.

Al Pittampalli, the Founder of MCW Consulting and author of Persuadable: How Great Leaders Change Their Minds to Change the World, discusses the struggle between speed and accuracy in the decision making process in the modern world.

New York Times bestselling author D. Deepak Chopra stares down life's big questions and offers up some answers-finding ways to explore our consciousness and make peace with the unknown.

Featuring Cook County Commissioner Bridget Gainer, WBEZ reporter Natalie Moore, Illinois state representative Sonya Harper, the Executive Director of the inner-city Muslim Action Network Rami Nashashibi, and the Executive Director and Founder of the Dovetail Project Sheldon Smith, this eclectic group tackles how Chicago can work to heal fractures and become one vibrant, diverse city.

Former U.S Secretary of Education, and Managing Partner of Emerson Collective, Arne Duncan sits down with Abrams Media Founder Dan Abrams to discuss how to bring change to communities throughout Chicago. In this episode, Duncan offers advice that community leaders can turn into concrete action in the here and now.

The Director of MIT's Media Lab Joi Ito sat with IDEO Executive Portfolio Director Neil Stevenson to explain his strange path to becoming one of the most influential, forward-thinking tech entrepreneurs in the world, and how he convinced MIT to reward those who aren't afraid to ruffle feathers.

Featuring the Co-Founder & CEO of I Am That Girl, Emily Greener, the Co-Founder of Justice League NYC and Executive Director of the Gathering for Justice, Carmen Perez, the Founder and CEO of The Mighty, Mike Porath, and the Social Media Host of Windy City Live, Ji Yi, this conversation's four speakers unravel the threads connecting activism and social media, explaining the continued need for reactionary movements in the digital age.

The award-winning actor Bryan Cranston sits with Chicago Ideas Founder Brad Keywell to talk about his journey from starting out playing bit parts in shows like Seinfeld to becoming the star of Breaking Bad, one of the most acclaimed television shows in recent memory.

Jose Antonio Vargas, a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and the Founder and CEO of Define American, addresses what it means to be an American head-on, as well as his path to citizenship in conversation with the President & CEO of New America Anne-Marie Slaughter

In episode 2 of 'Chicago Ideas' Cecile Richards, the President of Planned Parenthood, talks about what it's like to lead when under pressure, and how to keep making progress even in the face of pointed opposition.

The award-winning actor Alec Baldwin sits down with Chicago Ideas CEO Jessica Malkin to discuss his life and career, from his childhood upbringing all the way to his turn as Jack Donaghy on the acclaimed television series 30 Rock, sharing stories from his life and, occasionally, slipping in some impressions.