Career Catalyst participants at Wintrust in May
Pritzker Tech Talent Labs at DPI is hosting its biggest summer ever, already underway with postsecondary programming. Here’s a look at what’s going on:
Career Catalyst
To empower students with the skills, connections, and real-world exposure needed to thrive in the tech industry, PTTL’s postsecondary team introduced Career Catalyst this summer.
The first weeklong session took place in May, with another coming in August. Throughout the week, students immerse themselves in Chicago’s vibrant tech ecosystem, visiting leading companies and gaining firsthand insights into industry innovation. Wintrust, AWS, and Fifth Third hosted visits from the group in May; the slate for August is still being finalized.
Beyond career growth, the program fosters a strong peer network — bringing together future tech professionals from diverse backgrounds to collaborate, learn from one another, and build lasting connections.
Zoe Economou, a former Digital Scholar with DPI and now a rising junior at Illinois State University majoring in accounting, called the week “unforgettable,” and was particularly struck by “professionals openly sharing their journeys, challenges, and advice. It reminded me that there’s no single path to success and that curiosity, resilience, and connection are key.”
Victor Escudero, who is scheduled to complete both a bachelor’s in computer software engineering and a master’s in computer science at UIC in the spring, said on social media that the panels with tech professionals from different organizations were insightful, but even more, he appreciated one-on-one conversations. “Those moments sparked big realizations for me about what’s possible and where I want to grow next.”
Summer Tech Interns
Last summer, PTTL launched Summer Tech Interns, designed to provide college freshmen and sophomores with work experience, professional development, and connections with Chicago’s tech community.
The program, which started June 2 and runs through August 8, has nearly doubled in size this summer, with 49 interns working on a total of 38 projects. In addition to 16 separate research projects at DPI, focusing on topics from wastewater analysis to climate forecasting, these organizations, listed alphabetically, are also hosting interns for 20 hours per week:
- Auvi Labs
- CArtLab Solutions
- Grapherry, Inc.
- Manufacturing Renaissance
- mHUB
- Operation Autopilot, LLC
- PowerBox Technology
- Sterling Solutions
- Youth Sports Science Institute
Outside of the internships, the Summer Tech Interns participate in additional programming on career and professional development topics and make weekly visits to local tech companies and innovation spaces.
Last year’s program yielded an unexpected bonus: At an event at Google early in the summer, interns Michael Charles and Albert Huynh, both students at UIC who met in the program, ended up chatting about the difficulty of finding study groups for their classes. Thus was born Akknoledge: an app to connect students to other students in their classes and integrate study sessions into their calendars. Charles and Huynh added two other UIC students to their team and launched the product last September.
Digital Bridge
PTTL’s oldest postsecondary program now in its fifth year, begins Friday, June 20. Through weekly workshops on-site at DPI and Chicago tech companies, community college students build connections to local technologists, entrepreneurs, businesses, and civic leaders.
Digital Bridge 2025 will include visits to Google, mHub, and other tech companies with local presences. In addition, students will work on a capstone project focused on addressing an important issue through tech, presenting their projects at the end of the summer.
Author: Jeanie Chung