Internships

Student-Driven internships support students that are recruiting their own internship host and shaping the internship efforts with startup companies or venture capital firms. Students can find opportunities by joining relevant mailing lists, reading entrepreneurial blogs, engaging local entrepreneurial groups, and reviewing investments from venture capital firms. When contacting companies that sound promising, students should emphasize their unique skills and talents and suggest how an internship would be in the company’s best interest. The Zell Lurie Institute will provide a salary match of up to 50% of the intern’s salary for a 12-week internship ($9,600 for graduate students and $6,000 for undergrad students). Visit the ZLI Internships Canvas site for the necessary application documents. Graduate students must be first-year or equivalent for evening and dual degree students, undergraduate students must be a Sophomore or Junior.

Requirements for an Internship

Eligible host companies must be in the early growth phase of business development, preferably with less than 50 employees and secure financial backing through outside funding or internally generated cash flow. A venture capital firm that invests in early stage companies may also serve as a host company, though students should perform work for the firm itself and not for the portfolio company.

The focus of the 12-week internship should be based on the host company’s goals and identify how the student will help the company achieve those goals. The work performed by the intern should give the student a significant opportunity to contribute to the success of the host company while developing her/his entrepreneurial skill set. Internships with venture capital firms should provide the student with an investor’s perspective of entrepreneurship.

Student Application Process

• Complete the application form here.
• Obtain an offer letter from the host company using Zell Lurie’s offer letter template.
• Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis but those received by early March will have a much higher likelihood of being funded.

Deliverables

• Internship Plan: During the second week of the internship, the intern will write an internship plan that describes what the job focus will be for the summer and what value will be gained from the internship. It should clearly detail the student’s individual goals for the summer and the goals of the host company.
• Thank You Letter: Each intern is assigned to a specific Institute donor who provided funding for the internship program. In the middle of the summer, the intern will write a thank you letter to the designated supporter.
• Exit Survey: A week after the internship ends, ZLI will send each student intern a survey about how the internship went this summer. We’re interested in both learning how students spend their summers and getting feedback on internships and experience with the program.

For further information, contact [email protected].

A limited number of Self-Hosted Internship opportunities allow Ross students to spend the summer executing their own business plans. Student founders are encouraged to apply for this opportunity if they have a complete business plan and have not received outside equity financing. Participants in the Michigan Business Challenge and the Dare to Dream Grant Program are permitted and encouraged to apply; however, students may apply regardless of their involvement with these programs. Graduate students who apply for a Self-Hosted Internship must be a first-year MBA or equivalent for evening and dual degree students; undergraduate students a Sophomore or Junior BBA and must be in good academic standing at the Ross School of Business.

Students who apply for a Self-Hosted Internship must be enrolled at the Ross School of Business and must be in good academic standing. Compensation is limited to $10,000 for one individual, though the entire team is encouraged to help develop the business during the summer. The student may not work for another employer for the duration of the summer. Students must plan to launch in the Ann Arbor area to be granted a Self-Hosted Internship so that proper guidance and counseling can be provided.

Student Application Process

• Meet with a Zell Lurie entrepreneur-in-residence or staff member to determine preparedness for a self-hosted application.
• Submit the application form including a resume and pitch deck that presents the problem, your solution, the business model, what you’ve done so far, your next steps, and the team.
• Create a one-page summary of the goals of the internship.
• Applications must be received by March. After the deadline, ZLI will connect with students on whether the application has been approved for self-hosted funding. Only complete applications submitted to ZLI will be selected for review.

Deliverables

• Weekly meeting: Interns will meet with an assigned staff mentor at the Zell Lurie Institute to discuss the progress and roadblocks of launching their business.
• Thank You Letter: Each intern is assigned to a specific Institute donor who provided funding for the internship program. In the middle of the summer, the intern will write a thank you letter to the designated supporter.
• Exit Survey: A week after the internship ends, ZLI will send each student intern a survey about how the internship went this summer. We’re interested in both learning how students spend their summers and getting feedback on internships and experience with the program.

For further information, contact [email protected].