Summer Internship with the Virginia Innovation Accelerator (W&L Community-Based Learning)
This is a summer 2023 internship opportunity based in Lexington. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis and positions are open until filled or May 5, 2023. To apply, drop a resume and cover letter here.
As an organizational component of The Advancement Foundation, The Virginia Innovation Accelerator (VIA) provides start-up training for emerging entrepreneurs, helps launch and identify funding for new small businesses, and creates and cultivates local and regional economic prosperity. With a particular emphasis on agribusiness and value-added food production, VIA is headquartered in a former 40,000 sqft. facility located in Buena Vista, Virginia, and is immediately adjacent to the town center and the Maury River. Essentially, VIA promotes sustainable small businesses in rural America through collaborative “placemaking,” scaling within the immediate ecosystem, and rapid incubation of new ventures. A significant aspect of the VIA mission is the organic creation of local and regional societal solutions, where elements of community and economic development, equity, access, among other ideals of public good, are nurtured and strengthened across a diverse demographic. Learn more about VIA here: https://theadvancementfoundation.org/
Jobs
The intern will be hired for one of the following projects. When applying, please indicate which project you are interested in.
Create Entrepreneur Alumni Network: Design, development, and coordination of the VIA entrepreneur alumni network through both traditional and online channels; this project involves establishing a structure for communication and coordination, constructing processes to ensure quality and consistency, and creating and/or orchestrating content and performance measures to build brand and amplify messages within the network. The potential alumni participant population is approximately 800 individuals for this is a new initiative, moreover, if successful, financial and other partners may be incorporated into this network to help identify future business funding opportunities, supply chain relationships, joint ventures, attractors of creative capital, so forth. Students will work with VIA staff to conduct interviews and focus groups necessary to create a relevant virtual space for consumers. Profile of applicant: analytics thinker
Graphic Design/Branding: Create entrepreneur product/service visual communication images that convey new venture values, capabilities, and competencies through innovative design and text; help conceive, ideate, produce, and package unique branding content and MVP/pilot awareness building material, which offers customers solution experiences. Profile of applicant: desire and/or experience working with marketing and graphics design, perspective and drive to cultivate novel, brand-worthy visuals and multimedia.
Agribusiness Researcher: Use individual proficiency and/or motivation to conduct targeted scientific research supporting innovative entrepreneur products and services; provide forward thinking insights to generate new ideas and recommendations for high-potential agriculture, animal sciences, biological, chemical, mechanical and other solutions. Students would work independently to research and develop findings related to specific themes and topics; first with existing small businesses, and second with new growth companies. What options exist for the development of this industry?
This role helps develop relevant questions and investigates short-medium-long term opportunities for rural small business start-ups, diversification, and growth, where entrepreneurs may benefit from direct knowledge of science trends, new agriculture production equipment, emerging best practices and other innovations and/or discoveries offering rural economic opportunities and local and regional economic prosperity.
For instance, hemp production has enormous growth potential, yet initial hemp processing, product diversity, and add-value contributions are nascent in Virginia. Another example, nutrient recycling offers opportunities for soil microbe cultivation and harvesting; what business types may benefit most from new approaches to composting, how might these complement each other? (These two examples are representative of current VIA start-ups).
Students would work very closely with an entrepreneur, or groups of small ventures of similar interests, to develop their research agenda, design and plan the research, and then engage regularly with those following this theme or topic. Someone from the Center would provide structure for the communication of the findings, though the research itself would require a self-starter. Findings would be presented in layman’s terms, formatted as new venture proposals of 2-4 pages each, similar in style to Congressional Research Service reports, to various VIA staff, Board, entrepreneurs, and partners.
Profile of applicant: self starter, science or economic research experience preferred, or other analytic backgrounds, with possibly agriculture business exposure, such as family farming business, agribusiness, soils-geology, seeds, etc.
Qualifications
Student applicants should offer mature and/or innate critical thinking skills, combined with an interest in learning about local and regional economic development practices. Degree type is less important than a sincere desire to increase the quality of life for those living in rural America. As much of our collaborative work involves direct interaction with entrepreneurs, consumers, and/or partners, a comfort working with diverse people and perspectives is a significant benefit. There is an approximately 50/50 split between working independently and within a group setting, so self-starting capacity is required to jump in and get things accomplished without ongoing attention and oversight. Some portion of the work may be conducted remotely through virtual tools and processes.
Timeframe
7 weeks from Tuesday, June 6th to Friday, July 21st, working approximately 25 hours a week.
This internship is part of the Office of Community-Based Learning’s (CBL) internship program. Students will be provided guidance throughout the summer by CBL staff and work directly with their site supervisor. Students will meet with the CBL intern cohort once a week for training and reflection. This is an unpaid internship. However, students can apply for summer funding through Career and Professional Development Office (applications typically due winter term) and the Johnson Opportunity Grant (applications due January or March). Funds are limited and not guaranteed. This internship qualifies for EXP credit (CPD 451) through the CPD office. Sign up for the CPD Canvas Course (go.wlu.edu/Canvas) to receive alerts regarding summer funding and course credit.
To apply, students need to send a resume and cover letter to Bethany Ozorak, Assistant Director of Community-Based Learning (bozorak@wlu.edu).