Our biggest cohort yet just crossed the finish line. Over ten weeks, six teams delivered working applied-AI projects to Chicago companies—drawing students from four of our partner schools into one of the most ambitious sessions we've run.

Each team started where every LEAD project starts: with a real problem a real company cared about, and the messy, incomplete data that comes with it. From scoping to a final demo, students worked directly with their sponsors, guided by faculty mentors along the way.

Six teams, one arc

The projects ranged across automation, prediction, and customer-facing tools—but every team followed the same ten-week path from kickoff to a prototype in the sponsor's hands. What stood out this term was the range of schools represented and how quickly cross-university teams found their footing together.

The session closed with final presentations to the company sponsors. The work is now part of the students' portfolios and gives each sponsor a tested starting point for deciding what to develop next.