Startup Sioux Falls welcomes first two MVP interns
Startup Sioux Falls launched its revamped internship program in spring of 2023 to provide growth opportunities to individuals with an interest in economic development and entrepreneurship.
Two Augustana University students, Henry Sule and Meredith Reiner, were hired as the first interns to join the program.
“As a growing organization, we have an increased need for support across many areas, and our first interns have stepped up to the plate, providing support in facility operations, marketing and data collection and reporting,” said Jeff Hayward, Startup Sioux Falls’ program manager.
The MVP internship is tied loosely to college semesters or terms, with opportunities available in the fall, spring and summer. However, the program is open to anyone who has an interest in supporting founders, with no specific experience requirements.
“We are seeing lots of interest from college students, as well as entrepreneurs who want to support the organization alongside building their startup,” said Hayward.
The program is a win-win for both parties, with the interns gaining valuable on-the-job experience, and Startup Sioux Falls receiving direct support for the founders in its ecosystem.
“Our MVP interns — which cleverly stands for both Most Valuable Player, as well as Minimum Viable Product — this semester are both rockstars,” said Hayward.
“In terms of outcomes, we have already seen an increase in the capacity of our team and organization. Their support has been incredible, and they both jumped right in and embraced our motto of ‘No job is too small.’”
We sat down with both Sule and Reiner to learn more about them personally, what drew them to the MVP program and what they hope to take away from the experience.
Henry Sule
Tell us about yourself!
I’m originally from a small town in Nigeria called Jos, but I am currently a junior at Augustana University studying finance and computer information systems and set to graduate in May 2024. I’m currently working to educate myself in the financial technology industry with the hope that, one day, I can not only participate in the industry, but create a business solution that creates equitable, accessible financial tools for individuals regardless of their experience or knowledge.
How did you hear about Startup Sioux Falls' internship program and what inspired you to apply?
As someone who looks forward to one day starting my own enterprise, I’ve always been interested in entrepreneurship. When I joined the Sioux Falls community, I learned about Startup Sioux Falls through my university and community events like One Million Cups. I found out about the internship through Augustana’s job listings and, seeing it as a perfect opportunity to learn more about entrepreneurship, decided to throw my hat in the ring.
What are your main responsibilities during the internship, and what are you hoping to take away by the end of it?
I help with whatever is needed in the space. Since it’s still relatively new, there are still kinks that need to be worked out as well as processes that need to be solidified. I get to be a part of that process, and it’s been awesome. I also get to help out with some of the internal reporting the organization does for growth purposes and federal documentation. At the end of this process, I hope to learn how to use readily-available technology to support basic functions in a business to be able to streamline and automate processes.
What's the most interesting, rewarding or challenging experience you've had thus far?
I’m currently working on a project with my co-intern that requires me to combine reports and forms from the past couple of months to create a single document that showcases the different programs that have occurred recently, as well as the people who have been supported through them. It’s required a little learning in Google’s Workspace, but it’s been fun work. Seeing the results come in after putting in the work is fulfilling.
What do you enjoy most about the Sioux Falls community?
I enjoy that Sioux Falls is a community in the truest sense of the word. It’s not big, crazy and overwhelming; it’s a nice blend between urban and small communities. It makes it a great community to be part of in college.
What's the coolest organization or small business you've encountered in Sioux Falls?
One of the coolest organizations I’ve encountered in Sioux Falls is Junior Achievement. I think it’s amazing that, as an organization, it leverages its resources to invest back in the community and educate kids on financial literacy. Financial literacy is something I didn't focus on as much when I was younger, and I’m excited to see younger students be presented with the opportunity to learn more about their finances so early on.
Meredith Reiner
Tell us about yourself!
I grew up in Sioux Falls and currently attend Augustana University. I will graduate this May with a bachelor’s degree in mathematics, computer science and data science, and this summer, I have plans to be a data scientist at 84.51 — a retail data science company for The Kroger Co. based out of Cincinnati, OH. I have always had an interest in the mathematical side of things, but what I like about data science is the ability to take raw statistical data and transform it into a meaningful story. As for a few years down the road, I am not exactly sure what life looks like for me. After having learned more about entrepreneurship at Startup Sioux Falls, I definitely wouldn’t rule out starting my own business.
How did you hear about Startup Sioux Falls' internship program and what inspired you to apply?
I first heard about Startup Sioux Falls’ internship program through an ad on social media. The human in me thinks that was just pure luck, but my inner data scientist who understands social media ad recommendations thinks it might have been what I was looking for all along.
I have participated in many internships throughout my college experience, with many of them focusing on technical skills such as coding languages. For my last semester of college, I was hoping to find something that would allow me to work with people in the community and learn an entirely different set of skills. I have never given much thought about starting my own business, but after seeing the internship ad, I started to think about it a little bit more. Jeff described it to me on my first day as “being bit by the entrepreneurial bug,” and it must have happened to me, because 24 hours later I decided to apply — I was hungry to know more about entrepreneurship and this opportunity seemed like something I couldn’t pass up.
What are your main responsibilities during the internship, and what are you hoping to take away by the end of it?
So far, every day has been a little bit different for me. They just opened a new building downtown, so I have been helping with and learning about the challenges associated with the maintenance and upkeep of a building. In addition to that, I have been able to help out with some record keeping and organization of data for reporting requirements of a grant through the U.S. Small Business Administration.
What's the most interesting, rewarding or challenging experience you've had thus far?
The most interesting experience I have had so far this year was our Founders Day event. I got to sit in on some meetings for planning the event as well as help set up and attend. I was shocked by the number of people in the community who are starting different businesses as well as trying to connect with each other, share ideas and support one another. It made me feel that if I wanted to start a business someday, I could totally do it here in Sioux Falls with such a supportive community.
What do you enjoy most about the Sioux Falls community?
Growing up in Sioux Falls, one of my favorite things was the Falls Park lights during the holidays; even in the coldest part of the winter, it made the city feel a little bit warmer. It wasn’t until five to ten years ago that I started to see the rest of downtown Sioux Falls have this same level of warmth during the winter with people walking up and down Phillips Avenue visiting businesses and beautifully renovated buildings. I think what I enjoy most about Sioux Falls is their commitment to bringing warmth into the community, even when the winters are so cold.
What's the coolest organization or small business you've encountered in Sioux Falls?
There are so many cool small businesses in Sioux Falls, I don’t know if I can answer this question in just a paragraph. I think I would have to go with Heart of the City Bakery which is a local gluten-free bakery. I hadn’t heard of them before, but after I saw them in the CO.STARTERS program, I started to notice them everywhere around Sioux Falls. I didn’t realize that my favorite pumpkin bread from Hy-Vee is actually made by them. They also brought samples into Startup Sioux Falls, which is a great way to get an intern’s attention!
Interested in joining the next round of our internship program?