Venture For America is a nonprofit startup that recruits, selects, and trains highly talented recent college grads, places them at startups in emerging US cities for two years of hands-on experience, and provides them with access to the network and resources to become company builders and job creators. The Fellowship is highly selective, as is our team, and we’re looking for people who can jump in and make a huge impact.

We’re seeking highly motivated college students to join our team and help make sure three signature programs in the summer of 2019 go off without a hitch: Training Camp, Redux, and Reunion.

Training Camp is a rigorous 4-week program, held on campus at Wayne State University, that will prepare the newest class of ~200 Venture For America Fellows to hit the ground running as early-stage startup employees and entrepreneurs.

Redux is a 3-day program, held on campus at Wayne State University, that will bring together ~150+ 2018 Fellows, at the 1-year mark of their 2-year Fellowship experience. At Redux, Fellows will have the opportunity to either participate in an immersive, intensive “startup hackathon” or gain skills that will help them grow into startup leaders during their second year on the job.

Reunion is a 2-day experience for all VFA Alumni. This year the event will be hosted in Detroit for the first time ever. We aim to give Alumni an incredible and unforgettable weekend of fun!

We’re looking for energetic, reliable team players who are excited to ensure that these three program’s (many!) moving parts run smoothly.  

This 7-week internship runs from June 19 - August 5, with some flexibility around start and end dates.

You are:

-A high-achieving undergraduate college student in any major and any year.

-Someone who has had one or more previous internships or other professional experience.

-Open to challenges and a high level of responsibility; you’re an ambitious self-starter with exceptional organizational skills and attention to detail.

-A team player who feels that no task is too small. You’re ready to fix A/V problems, take out the trash after events, and generally do whatever it takes to keep these major programs running seamlessly.

-An excellent communicator who can represent VFA professionally while interacting with Fellows, high-level supporters, and other Training Camp guests.

-Strongly aligned with VFA’s values and excited about our mission.

What You’ll Do:

-Work full-time in Detroit, MI from June 19 - August 5

-Be part of the core team managing daily operations at Training Camp

-Be given ownership for a project within one of our summer departments (Operations, External Relations, Marketing, Data, Education, Launch).

-Serve as a capable utility player. You’ll do everything from preparing materials for training sessions to working with outside vendors to setting up spaces for events.

-Be a resource for Fellows and plan activities to enhance their experience.

The Good Stuff:

-The VFAmily: we have a fun, tightly-knit team culture (a must to live together in Detroit for seven weeks!), and you’ll have an opportunity to make a real impact over the course of the summer.

-The substantive, marketable experience: we treat our interns like VFA team members. We’ll give you tons of responsibility from day one, and the more you rise to the occasion the more we’ll have you take on.

-The inside scoop: you’ll have a front-row seat to a premier entrepreneurship training program, and will have the opportunity to regularly sit in on trainings.

-The network: our past interns tell us that the best part of this internship is getting to know VFA Fellows, alumni, and supporters.

-The perks: we offer all interns a $1,500 stipend, with eligibility for a $500 bonus, and we’ll cover your room, board, and travel expenses while at Training Camp.

DEPARTMENT DESCRIPTIONS

Department job descriptions are below.

All Interns: Throughout the summer there will be many times we’ll need help with tasks that fall outside of the below descriptions.  We’re looking for interns that are comfortable with grunt work and happy to pitch in to move boxes, run errands, and organize supplies.

The Operations team handles everything related to the ensuring TC runs smoothly. This team focuses on the things that go on “behind the scenes” that are critical to the program’s success. We’re looking for two interns to help manage our day to day operations for these three programs. If you love to do lists, impeccably organized calendars, and logistics, this job is for you!

The Launch team works within the Programs department to empower Fellows’ entrepreneurial mindsets so that Fellows can begin business ideation as the next generation of entrepreneurs. We are looking for one intern to help the Launch Team execute two core fun and rigorous experiences during Training Camp and Redux. We also need help preparing for the VFA Accelerator in the fall. If you are obsessed with How I Built This?, read Product Hunt for fun, and want to learn more about Lean Startup methodology, this job is for you!  

The External Relations team runs all of our interactions with guests and funders. As a nonprofit, our external relations team keeps the wheels on the bus by partnering with philanthropic foundations, corporates, and individuals who support our work financially or by donating their time. We are looking for one intern to ensure all of our guests have an incredible visit to VFA Training Camp, Redux and Reunion. If you love networking, are a strong writer and communicator, and always make a great first impression, this job is for you!

The Marketing/Communications team runs all of our social media, our website, PR, and communications. We are looking for one intern to work alongside our marketing team to ensure we are telling the story of Training Camp, Redux, and Reunion, especially as we ramp up for our application opening. We will also want you to draft our regular emails for Fellows and the VFA team to ensure our entire community knows what is going on! If you love content creation, social media, and creative storytelling, this job is for you!

The Data team supports the ongoing evaluation of VFA Training Camp and Redux which is incredibly important for our organization’s ability to measure its impact. We’re looking for one intern to help with all aspects of managing our data - from Fellow attendance, to surveys, to our speaker demographics.  If you love making things efficient, excel, and visualizing data, this job is for you!