June 23--The city of Chicago is again dangling Lollapalooza tickets to attract top students in technology fields to the city for the weekend -- and then maybe to work here in startups after they graduate.
The third annual "Thinkchicago: Lollapalooza" will host 125 students from July 30 to Aug. 2 as Mayor Rahm Emanuel tries to improve the city's performance as a tech innovator.
It's unclear how much attention the students will pay to promised meetings with Chicago innovators, technologists and business leaders amid days of pounding electronic dance beats and general lakefront revelry at the music festival. But the bid to make Chicago appealing to young, well-educated college graduates is in keeping with Emanuel's efforts to position Chicago as a fun place to live and work.
Applicants are asked to explain how their extracurricular activities demonstrate an interest in technology and innovation, and to "describe a potential tech solution or strategy that Mayor Emanuel could adopt to improve the quality of life for Chicagoans."
The application also asks respondents to describe themselves as either a hacker (coder/engineer), hipster (designer) or hustler (business/marketing expert). Applications are due by July 6.
