Katherine Olives
Although our Internship Program is popular on campus, many havent heard the story behind it. About two years ago, the Zahn Center approached BNY Mellon with a proposition. We wanted to find opportunities to apply the talent of the CCNY student body to solving needs in the social sector. Soon, the idea for a funded internship program for social enterprises and non-profits came to life.
At last weeks Fall Internship Finale, our own Lindsay Siegel proudly announced that since the start of the program, thanks to BNY Mellon, weve been able to support 37 leading social enterprises in NYC by providing them with paid interns. Of those interns, eleven students have received full and part-time job offers after their internships. She also specifically acknowledged Kate DeBold, Associate Director of Global Citizenship & Sustainability at BNY Mellon, for her partnership in making all of this possible.
In Kate DeBolds eyes, having an internship at a non-profit or social enterprise allows students to develop phenomenal perspective on what it means to be part of the social impact space. At last weeks event, she explained why BNY Mellon fits so nicely into the equation. As one of the first financial institutions in the world (it was founded by Alexander Hamilton in 1784), its in BNY Mellons DNA to seek positive change as they meet the worlds investment needs. As part of the institutions philanthropic mission, the bank invests in social impact and economic empowerment. BNY Mellons partnership with the Zahn Center was one of their first connections to the social impact space. As Kate explained, working with the Zahn Center allows us to impact an ecosystem–we can work through your bright minds to make a change in the ecosystem.
For the rest of the evening, we heard presentations from five of the Fall interns. They shared a how they helped their respective social enterprises to enact change.
First to present was Dibya Shahi. She interned at BlocPower, a startup that aims to bring clean energy to scale in American inner cities. During her internship, Dibya collected data about energy bills and helped the engineering teams explore different models. By the end of the internship, she gained technical knowledge, and now understands a lot more about green technologies. Shell use a lot of that knowledge to aid in her senior design project at CCNY.
Next was Eshrat Khan, who worked as a marketing intern for Zahn startup dawaCare. dawaCare is a non-profit that improves health outcomes in developing nations, with a specific focus on Cameroon. During her internship, Eshrat researched Cameroons healthcare system, its culture, disease profile, and designed content for the young startup. In the process, she learned about Cameroon. She told us that working for a startup is different because you have to be a self-starter. Eshrat will continue to work with dawaCare throughout the Spring semester.
Brian Kalledeen worked for a former Zahn resident, Keen Home. They make smart vents, so Brian helped model some displays. As they were releasing new firmware and hardware, Brian played a key role. He gained experience in a field that deeply interests him, got a feel for the startup world, and got to meet smart people. Brian will also continue his internship with Keen Home–and continue to enjoy their free coffee and snacks.
Next, Darren Lin talked about his time at Resonant Energy. Their main goal is to make solar power accessible to families by grouping solar projects together so families can split the costs and share the benefits. Darren conducted research on the electricity costs in 5 or 10 years, met with contractors to negotiate prices, and worked with very cool software. He especially loved working out of the Urban Future Lab because he met so many great people and built his network. Surprisingly, he also discovered that although he was his most busy last semester, he was more productive and he got his best grades yet.
Finally, Gresa Murati told us about her experience at Ecogy Solar, a startup that finances solar PV systems through Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs). During the Fall semester, Gresa researched the solar market in Costa Rica and conducted market research, all in Spanish. One of the biggest things she learned was how challenging it is to speak Spanish in a topic thats unfamiliar. She also learned valuable skills to aid in the creation of her own startup (endWH, a competitor in our upcoming competition).
Were excited to support these CCNY students, along with the others in our internship program, to stay focused on the impact they will have to effect positive change with their careers.