Meet our Fall 2023 MVP Interns and apply for our Spring 2024 Internship!
This fall, we welcomed two new interns to our internship program, Amber Frigaard and Allen Solomon. Our internship program provides a dynamic platform for individuals with a passion for community building and entrepreneurship!
Amber and Allen have demonstrated exceptional support across various areas such as facility operations, programs, events, and data collection and reporting.
The MVP Internship offers flexible opportunities in fall, spring, and summer, aligning with college semesters. Our interns gain invaluable on-the-job experience, providing direct support to Startup Sioux Falls and its visionary founders.
We caught up with fall 2023 interns Amber and Alleni to delve into the driving forces behind their passion, what drew them to the MVP program, and some of their key takeaways from the experience.
Tell us about yourself!
I am a Senior at Augustana University and my major is Marketing. I am originally from a small town, Dalton Minnesota. I love being creative, working with designs, leading others, presenting, and I am overall very outgoing. In my free time I love to spend time on the lake in the summers, golf, be with friends and family, and overall stay busy.
How did you hear about Startup Sioux Falls’ internship program and what inspired you to apply?
I heard about the program from my professor who taught "Principles of Marketing" last semester, (Dr. Willard) and I was inspired to apply because of all the networking opportunities and creativity that is constantly flowing within Startup Sioux Falls.
What are your main responsibilities during the internship and what are you hoping to take away by the end of it?
My main responsibilities during my internship are helping Jeff with research on new mentorship programs, assisting Emma with support when needed, reaching out to CO.STARTERS in regards to informing them about meetings, thank yous etc., putting swag packages together and other misc. tasks that need to be done for Startup. I hope to take away experience on how to run a successful event/program and create some relationships that will help me with networking in my future career.
What’s the most interesting, rewarding or challenging experience you’ve had thus far?
The most rewarding experience so far is seeing Startup Pitch Night come to life and how the CO.STARTERS program positively impacted so many individuals. I have done a lot of research on mentorship programs and assisting with CO.STARTERS that when I saw how the program did help so many new entrepreneurs it was an experience that I will never forget.
What do you enjoy most about the Sioux Falls community?
There is so much opportunity but yet the people here treat you as a small town. They get to know you, are welcoming, and very down to earth people.
The business that has stuck out the most to me so far, is "Effortless Bow." At Pitch Night Mary gave a great pitch that really highlighted how she is making a product, and being inclusive at the same time. This business really has the opportunity to impact so many individuals and showing that anyone can do anything. Also her bows are so cute for little ones!
How did you hear about Startup Sioux Falls’ internship program and what inspired you to apply?
I saw an internship posting on the website of Startup Sioux Falls. I was curious about Startup Sioux Falls and decided to learn more. My research revealed that Startup Sioux Falls works closely with other businesses to support the growth and development of startups in the region. This led me to believe that Startup Sioux Falls would be a great place to intern.
What are your main responsibilities during the internship and what are you hoping to take away by the end of it?
My responsibilities include working with the program and events, event promotion, using Eventbrite, and website updates. Researching about businesses and professionals. Managing facilities and spaces.
What’s the most interesting, rewarding or challenging experience you’ve had thus far?
Startup Pitch Night is one of my favorite events because it's like a real-life Shark Tank. I've learned a lot from watching the entrepreneurs pitch their ideas, and how the judges give feedback on what's good and bad. It was an great experience to work as a team, before the event to make the event successful. Other Startup Sioux Falls events, like Startup Sunrise and Bootcamp, are also great experiences.
What do you enjoy most about the Sioux Falls community?
I love that the Sioux Falls community offers so many networking opportunities for businesses. It's great to see how businesses are all connected and support each other.
In the last couple months working here I met some amazing businesses and organizations, the coolest business, I think, is the Full Circle book coop.
The past few months wouldn’t have been the same without Amber and Allen’s energy and support. We’re so grateful for the opportunity to work alongside them and provide them with an experience that can benefit them in their college studies and future careers.
Applications are now open for the Spring 2024 semester! Learn more by visiting startupsiouxfalls.com/careers and apply today by emailing a resume to [email protected].