By Aubrey Haase
The Burgess Institute for Entrepreneurship & Innovation is celebrating the success of its inaugural internship program, Spartans for Startups. This program provides students with the opportunity to intern at a startup and is designed to deliver invaluable hands-on experience in the startup world.
"It's exciting to kick off this program with three outstanding alumni companies, providing an incredible opportunity for our students." says Paul Jaques, managing director of venture creation at the Burgess Institute.
In its inaugural year, the program placed three student interns with three Spartan-led businesses. Interns brought a variety of academic backgrounds to their positions at participating employers, which included MediCool Technologies, Motmot and Athlytic. Throughout the internship, students work with founders, learn the nuances of startup culture, and contribute to the growth of emerging companies.
Tanner Mason, a senior majoring in electrical engineering, obtained hands-on experience working on significant projects with MediCool Technologies, building 3D prototype devices and developing thermal models for use in device testing and development.
“His engineering work was top-notch, and he pulled out a couple of potentially game-changing conclusions from some bench testing for us. He also excelled in the startup environment — tackling everything from complex 3D Printing and electrical testing and evaluation to model design and validation, coupled with helping us move from one office space to another,” said Jeff Rynbrandt, president and CEO of MediCool Technologies. “We’re looking forward to working with him more — hopefully this fall and potentially after he graduates.”
Although startups offer more opportunities than larger companies, they may lack the budgetary ability to hire talent. The Burgess Institute funded the summer salaries for participating interns and is proud to foster an environment of learning, growth, and innovation. Spartans for Startups enriches the startup ecosystem and contributes to Michigan's reputation as a hub for innovation, and is made possible through the Lansing Economic Area Partnership (LEAP) TREK Small Business Support Hub, powered by funding from the Michigan Economic Development Corporation and in part by SLFRP0127, which was awarded to the State of Michigan by the U.S. Department of the Treasury as part of the American Rescue Plan.
"We hope the more students experiencing the startup culture during their college years will inspire them to consider and pursue these opportunities when graduating," said Sean Fochtman, director of alumni venture support at the Burgess Institute. "We hope to flood the startup world with Spartan alumni and the Spartans for Startups program will help do that."
The Burgess Institute received overwhelming feedback from students and startups, which resulted in plans to expand the Spartans for Startups program for future years. Two-thirds of the students received offers to continue working with their respective startups, either as part-time or full-time employees post-graduation.
“We are thrilled to offer opportunities for students to connect with Spartan-led startups and apply the tangible skills they learn in the classroom,” says Laurel Ofstein, faculty director at the Burgess Institute.