Blog: Internships

My Internship Experience with the Entrepreneurship Minor

This summer I have been working as the Project Associate for the Social Entrepreneur in Residence.  This lengthy internship title is not your average paper-shuffling, fax-sending, coffee-grabbing summer internship.  Before I start talking about the things I have learned and the project I am currently working on, I should mention how this internship came to be.  The Social Entrepreneur in Residence position has been in the ‘developing’ phase at UNC for many years now.  Through the hard work of a UNC student group—SEEDS (Social Entrepreneur and Enterprise Development for Students) – they have been fundamental in helping appoint Micah Gilmer as the first Social Entrepreneur in Residence.  The Social Entrepreneur in Residence position (as first described by SEEDS) is to look for “the intellectual stimulation of academia and the ability to connect people and resources.”  Furthermore, the Social Entrepreneur in Residence should be a, “champion of social enterprise at UNC, have great desire to interact with young social entrepreneurs, and show independence and initiative in forming a broad coalition of campus resources.”  As one can probably imagine, Micah’s first task was to get some help with this endeavor.  

The Project Associate internship position was therefore created and several UNC undergraduate students applied for this competitive internship.  During the final interview, Micah selected two interns, Emily Hylton and me.  We are currently working on two main projects: a social enterprise exhibition planned for the fall semester, and a social entrepreneurship curriculum for students that are interested in social and environmental issues.  Emily is in charge of the fall exhibition, and I am in charge of developing a resource guide for the curriculum, where students can find relevant information about social entrepreneurship in books, documentaries, magazines, blogs and other resources.  So far I have read great books such as; David Bornstein’s, “How to Change the World,” and Malcolm Gladwell’s, “Outliers”.  I have also learned about innovative social organizations founded by UNC alum, such as Global Giving (co-founded by Dennis Whittle), The Humanity Campaign (founded by Ryan Allis) and many more.  Aside from the work at UNC, I am also working for Micah at Frontline Solutions, a social consulting firm in downtown Durham; Micah is one of the founding partners of Frontline Solutions.  I consider myself very lucky to be working under Micah’s wing since he is a really great person (and he has taken me out to lunch on more than one occasion).  

If you want to learn more about the projects we are working on, or the books I have been reading, follow me on my blog: http://uncsocialentrepreneurship.wordpress.com/.

TransEnterix

TransEnterix is a start-up medical device company born from the collaboration of a few surgeons. It is a true start-up in the sense that currently, there are two separate offices and only one has a copier and paper shredder; and, before a few weeks ago the conference room could only comfortably seat 6 or 7 people. 

My experience here has been quite incredible. I have been able to sit in on a variety of meetings about product launch, launch planning, advertising and marketing, the list really goes on and on. Some of my larger projects have included; working on a competitive analysis for potential investors, product pricing, and a product launch timeline. I have learned tons about market analysis, and the medical device industry. 

The best thing about being an intern at TransEnterix is the atmosphere. There are times when things are a little uncertain and tense but there is an overwhelming sense of pride, determination, and dedication that each employee exudes. I have found in my time at TransEnterix that being an entrepreneur means having persistence, a vision, and passion. The things I have learned here I know will be invaluable to me in the future and I am so grateful to have been able to have had this experience.

Artistic Entrepreneurship Internship: RipTide Music

For my Entrepreneurship internship I knew I wanted to work at a media company. I’ve always had an interest in music publishing and supervision, so when I stumbled upon an intern wanted ad from RipTide Music I immediately applied. After a few phone calls and emails I secured an internship at RipTide Music, a music licensing and publishing company located in Marina del Rey (near Los Angeles).

Even though the company is small with only eight full time employees, RipTide Music is a growing company that prides itself on being artist centered, dynamic, and forward thinking. Unlike many other publishing companies, RipTide works like a record label with a vast knowledge of publishing. There are three different areas within RipTide: Publishing, Production, and A&R. I have been lucky enough to work in all of these areas. I have worked on artist contracts, co -publishing agreements, large distributions, listening to music submissions, archiving discs, registering songs with publishing rights organizations, and have even helped to launch the new division of the company called Pacifica, a music library. The best part about this internship is that the staff is not only grateful for my help, but they are also invested in teaching me about all aspects of the publishing industry. I am encouraged to ask questions and to request tasks that are in line with my interests. Although the process of moving to LA for ten weeks was difficult, I am very happy to have this internship because it not only fits in perfectly with the Artistic Entrepreneurship program, but it also allows me to explore my personal interests.

My Experience at TRS Institute

I spent my internship working for a medical transcription training company based out of Greensboro called TRS Institute. This company started out as a medical transcription service organization and has recently concentrated its efforts in the training of a workforce of competent transcriptionists. The training exists online in the U.S. and on-site in several English speaking Caribbean countries. I couldn’t have gotten involved with TRSi at a more perfect time and have been privileged to be able to help with the creation of their new web site, new marketing strategies such as social networking and SEO, and their national conference in Nashville, TN. Something that is really exciting for me from an entrepreneurial standpoint is that currently in this industry there are 25% more jobs available than there are people to work them. What an ideal opportunity for an entrepreneurial venture like TRSi to enter this market! I was also able to accompany my boss on a trip to Washington, DC for the industry’s Advocacy Day. We met with our senator and several other NC representatives to discuss the pending HITECH Act and the effect that it has on the entire healthcare documentation industry.

It has been really fun and exciting for me to see what I have learned about entrepreneurship in the minor actually come to life in my internship. I absolutely love everyone at the office (they are like a family and even eat lunch together every day!) and really couldn’t have asked for a better placement. Bob Harvey, CEO of TRSi, made sure that I was taken care of and was great about explaining everything about the industry to me. I have thoroughly enjoyed using my journalism background to help with the creation of several written pieces for TRSi.The real-life internship experience that I received this summer is absolutely invaluable and is a great supplement to what I have been exposed to in the minor of entrepreneurship.