Killer Lineup Highlights ‘Ideas Week'

Groupon and Threadless founders have jumped on the bandwagon for Chicago Ideas Week, a seven-day symposium highlighting local big thinkers and speakers from around the world.

On Wednesday, Groupon co-founder Brad Keywell joins Mayor Rahm Emanuel to announce the final workshop and presenter lineup for the Oct.10-16 event and to push forward a new local program for attracting innovative young minds to the Windy City.

On the visually creative end, Threadless launched a Chicago Ideas Week T-shirt Challenge, inviting design submissions inspired by the theme "ideas." Prizes for winning designs include cash and tickets to TedX Midwest.

The jam-packed Chicago Ideas Week, hosted by Keywell, Emanuel and former Mayor Richard Daley, includes a creative process panel by director Anna Shaprio and actress Joan Cusack, and an education discussion featuring Justice Sandra Day O'Connor.

Other key guests include John Thorn, official baseball historian for MLB; Tom Shadyac, writer of "Bruce Almighty" and "Ace Ventura"; Tim Westergren, founder of Pandora Radio; and notorious hacker and space ship builder Pablos Holman.

They join more than 100 other creators and entrepreneurs specializing in a wide range of technology and arts.

Also expect to see Emanuel and Daley giving their two cents on idea culture, especially after the mayor launched his own interactive ideas website to mine budget ideas from residents. 

Tickets for individual events cost $15. Tickets to the Chicago Ideas Week Bash, featuring punk-rock marching band Mucca Pazza at Park West, are $50. The event is sponsored in part by NBC.

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