We're kicking off the year with our most competitive student applicant pool to date. More students, from more schools, want in on real applied-AI work—and that's exactly the momentum we hoped to build.

A bigger, more diverse pool means stronger, more varied teams, and more range in the problems we can take on for company sponsors. It also raises the bar: selection is more competitive than ever, and the students joining this cohort earned their spots.

The application cycle brought students from across the program's participating universities into consideration for real applied-AI projects with Chicago companies. The selected teams began the year working with faculty mentors and company sponsors.

Companies planning a project for a future cohort can share a project brief with Chicago LEAD.