Hey Friends!

Welcome to the 31st edition of the Driver’s Seat! 🚙 

Highlights from Last Week:

I had a great time visiting the University of Michigan for our second AI Meetup on Campus.

Special thanks to student leaders at V1 Michigan and the Michigan Venture Club for helping me put this together.

We’re welcoming the Michigan Venture Club to the Drive Chicago office this week for a field trip.

I published a blog on the opportunity for superfandom in music.

The piece highlights three insights:

• A musician’s ‘superfans’ make up 20% of their fanbase, but contribute to 80% of their revenue.

• I believe superfandom has the power to shift many of the incentives we see in music today, which heavily rely on likes, social clout, and buzz.

• AI could offer artists new ways of engaging with audiences.

If you're building / innovating in this space, lmk!

📍 Today’s Lineup:

🔢 The Windy City’s Data Hub

🚶 Chicago's Population Landscape

📊 Chart of the Week

🗺 Events Around the City

🔙 Previous Issues of the Driver’s Seat

Subscribe to the Driver’s Seat 🚙 for the best insights on Chicago's GROWING innovation economy 🙏