The Garage debuted its newest initiative, the Summer Startup Internship program in the spring of the 2023-2024 academic year. After receiving over 120 applications, three Northwestern University students were given the opportunity to intern at early-stage startups in the real world - founded by alumni of The Garage.
As a part of the program, these students received the unique opportunity to sharpen their skills as founders and gain valuable real world experience working full-time and in-person at three different startups across the nation, spanning industries and specializations.
The companies hosting student interns this summer include Amper Technologies, founded by Akshat Thirani ‘16 and based in Chicago, IL; Change, founded by Sonia Nigam ‘17 and Amar Shah ‘17, based in San Francisco, CA; and Le Alfré, founded by Brandon Snower and based in New York, NY.
Notably, The Garage is providing a $5,000 stipend to each student intern, plus additional and varying compensation provided by the participating companies in order to make the biggest impact on the students spending their summer in the program.
In this pilot cohort, both undergraduate and graduate students have been chosen to participate, and three different schools at Northwestern University are represented. Read more about the cohort below!
Elizabeth Savin is a Manufacturing and Design Engineering major who is also pursuing an Integrated Marketing and Communications certificate through the Medill School of Journalism. She has always loved working on various startups and is so grateful to have access to such amazing opportunities with The Garage. Her interest lies at the intersection of Human Centered Design and business development. Currently, she is the Program Director of the Propel program and loves having the opportunity to introduce incredible female founders to The Garage.
This summer, Elizabeth is working to help automate the quote to cash process at Amper. This includes implementing new technologies and creating alternate methods for steps like quote creation, revenue recognition, and more!
“One of my favorite things has been the opportunity to participate in meetings across different departments. This has allowed me to learn more about the inner workings of a startup. The team has been incredible and I am so excited about continuing to collaborate with my colleagues!”
Aman is a dynamic and innovative professional with over four years of experience in business analysis, product management, and strategy. He is currently pursuing a Master of Engineering Management at Northwestern University, leveraging first-principle thinking to solve complex problems and drive process optimization. His diverse background spans fintech, SaaS, and R&D, and he is passionate about technology and data-driven decision-making.
This summer, Aman is working as a GTM Strategy Intern at Change, a dynamic startup in San Francisco. In this role, he's developing targeted value propositions, crafting messaging, and creating sales enablement strategies for various buyer personas as part of drafting a comprehensive GTM roadmap. He's also diving deep into competitive analysis, evaluating products, pricing, and market positioning strategies. This involves close collaboration with the marketing and product teams, streamlining processes, and reducing time-to-market for new initiatives.
“What I love most about this position is the chance to work on impactful projects that drive real results. Being part of a startup, I get to dabble into everything, from product discussions to marketing meetings. The hands-on experience and the opportunity to work directly with leaders like Sonia and Amar, who are deeply invested in the company’s mission, is incredibly rewarding. This experience is giving me valuable insights and practical knowledge that will be key in my future career.”
Joshua is a rising sophomore studying Economics and Business Institutions at the Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences. He was born and raised on Long Island, New York. On campus, he's involved in Alpha Kappa Psi, For Members Only, and NU Heights.
This summer, Joshua is interning at Le Alfre, located just south of Times Square, where he is an operations analyst. He works directly with founders on order fulfillment, customer service, and inventory management. Some of his responsibilities include packaging orders, tracking inventory, handling returns, and all other customer inquiries. He's also learning about the retail industry, ranging from how to conduct business with factories to maintaining a loyal customer base.
“One thing I really enjoy about working with the team at Le Alfré is that it is a very open and supportive environment. This internship has provided me with a behind-the-scenes look at what working in the retail industry is really like, which is an invaluable experience that you can't get at many other places.”
Carly is a passionate community builder serving as The Garage's Marketing Manager. She is overjoyed to work with students at The Garage, helping them realize their potential in creative communication and social strategy.
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