Contributors/Corespondents will engage in discussions about Chicago's events and culture, prepare podcast episodes, and positively interact with the audience.
City Cast Chicago is seeking individuals who are passionate about their city, engaged with current events, and have a few areas of expertise they can talk about on mic in a smart, funny, entertaining way. We’ll be hiring 3-6 people for this part-time contract assignment and we’re looking for a wide variety of voices. If you know a lot and love to talk about topics such as local transportation, music, politics, real estate, food, parenting, culture, business, or a particular neighborhood – we want to hear from you! Correspondents will be regular guests on the City Cast Chicago podcast and featured across our daily social and newsletter products.
We are primarily looking for podcast contributors, but if you have other ideas for how you might contribute to the work we do at City Cast Chicago, that’s a bonus.
Application Due: Friday, February 16, 2026
What You’ll Do- Join City Cast Chicago host Jacoby Cochran and other team members for regular conversations hitting a variety of timely topics and big stories in the news
- Prepare and research for podcast episodes to the extent you need to be informed
- Contribute story and topic ideas for podcast episodes
- Serve as an ambassador for the City Cast Chicago brand, helping represent City Cast publicly
- Occasionally contribute to or be featured on City Cast Chicago social channels and in newsletter content
- Engage positively with the brand’s audience, members, and fans
- A deep passion for Chicago and an appreciation for and understanding of its complexity
- The abilities to talk in a compelling and relatable way about topics of great interest to locals, listen to others who do the same, ask good questions, and work through thorny issues from a perspective rooted in your own authenticity.
- A game attitude, always up for silly ideas and ready to bring your own
- Charisma, humor, genuine interest, composure, humility, collegiality and expertise or experience
Rate for this role is $100 per podcast episode (Any non-podcast contributions are negotiable on a per-project basis).
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What you need to know about the Chicago Tech Scene
With vibrant neighborhoods, great food and more affordable housing than either coast, Chicago might be the most liveable major tech hub. It is the birthplace of modern commodities and futures trading, a national hub for logistics and commerce, and home to the American Medical Association and the American Bar Association. This diverse blend of industry influences has helped Chicago emerge as a major player in verticals like fintech, biotechnology, legal tech, e-commerce and logistics technology. It’s also a major hiring center for tech companies on both coasts.
Key Facts About Chicago Tech
- Number of Tech Workers: 245,800; 5.2% of overall workforce (2024 CompTIA survey)
- Major Tech Employers: McDonald’s, John Deere, Boeing, Morningstar
- Key Industries: Artificial intelligence, biotechnology, fintech, software, logistics technology
- Funding Landscape: $2.5 billion in venture capital funding in 2024 (Pitchbook)
- Notable Investors: Pritzker Group Venture Capital, Arch Venture Partners, MATH Venture Partners, Jump Capital, Hyde Park Venture Partners
- Research Centers and Universities: Northwestern University, University of Chicago, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Illinois Institute of Technology, Argonne National Laboratory, Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory
