Applications are now being accepted for internships for the Innovation Accelerator (IA) for the fall 2008 semester. The IA experience provides exceptional educational opportunities working with Connecticut based high-tech entrepreneurial ventures and significantly differentiates the learning experience of the student. Students, who are competitively selected to be members of teams, will get a unique, in-depth, 360-degree business exposure to the venture and its entrepreneurial founders. The goal of the IA is to make a significant strategic contribution to the venture’s success – while providing a truly differentiated education and experience for the student.
We anticipate recruiting 14 to 18 students for the fall 2008 program. We are looking for bright, creative, out-of-the box thinkers who have an interest in start-up, high-tech businesses and possibly want to start their own business one day. The expectations are high – both in terms of the student’s time commitment and in the contribution made to the team and to the entrepreneurial venture. The student can expect to significantly differentiate her/himself at the recruiting table or to gain great business experience and contacts if thinking of starting a venture in the future.
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The IA teams are typically 3 graduate students (MBA, MS, MA or PhD) from different disciplines and 1 undergraduate student. While the IA is run out of the business school, students from all schools (including undergraduates) who have the interest, talent and aspiration are encouraged to apply. Prior members have been recruited from engineering, law, and CLAS in addition to business students. Undergraduates who apply are typically juniors or seniors. For honors undergraduates the IA experience can form the foundation for an honor’s thesis. NOTE: as of July 16, 2008 there a still a few graduate and undergraduate slots available for this fall so we are still accepting applications per the instructions below.
The fall 2008 program starts on August 22, 2008 (orientation) and finishes on December 5, 2008.
Student Benefits
The IA projects are semester long full-time projects. In compensation the students get:
- Exceptional educational opportunities
- Challenging and differentiating work experience
- Competitive financial and non-financial (6 credits) compensation
- Experience working closely with multi-disciplinary graduate student teams and faculty mentors
- In-depth hi-tech entrepreneurial venture exposure
PLEASE NOTE: Because of the proprietary nature of the projects at the Innovation Accelerator, as well as the time demands of participation, applicants cannot have other employment affiliations during the program.
The Innovation Accelerator (IA) is one of the primary outreach initiatives of the Connecticut Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation (CCEI) housed in the Management Department at the School of Business. The IA assists entrepreneurial ventures in addressing myriad challenges associated with the identification and capture of business opportunities through interdisciplinary project teams of students that innovatively solve complex business issues for technology-based entrepreneurial ventures under the guidance of UConn faculty, with the involvement of the founders of the participating venture. The teams help move innovation forward and the client venture closer to market by engaging in consulting projects such as performing comprehensive market analyses and associated market-entry strategies, developing strategic roadmaps and sustainable business models, fleshing-out business plans, evaluating the market feasibility of emerging technologies, and constructing customer relationship strategies.
Team Profiles
Innovation Accelerator projects are tackled by graduate student teams (up to 1 undergraduate only per team) mentored by cross-functional UConn faculty - together with the entrepreneurial founders from the client venture.
Project Areas
We offer an array of projects which will require broad knowledge and skill sets. Projects will be conducted at the new CCEI / Innovation Accelerator facility that opened in January 2008 at 222 Pitkin St. in East Hartford.
Application Process
To apply send an email to InnovationAcceleratorApps@business.uconn.edu. Attach to the email 1 - a current resume and 2 - a cover letter. Both documents should be in MS Word format. In the cover letter please include your current GPA and elaborate on your creative out-of-the-box thinking skills, your work ethic and your interests in entrepreneurship.
Applications will be reviewed as received but the Application deadline is June 6, 2008. If you are selected for an interview, you will be contacted by e-mail. If you have questions, please contact Luke.Weinstein@business.uconn.edu.
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