Entrepreneurial Internship – Startup Development

Job Description

Intern | Axios Professional Recruitment

The Tone:
This is an Entrepreneurial Internship program located in Grand Rapids, MI. Axios Professional Recruitment is partnered with an incubator program that actively seeks ambitious students to support multiple early-stage startups. This role is crucial for providing essential support in business strategy, market analysis, and product development to accelerate the growth of new ventures. The internship offers real-world experience and the opportunity to build a strong network within the startup and venture capital community.

The TL;DR
• Role: Internship
• Type: Part-time (10-15 hrs/week)
• Location: Hybrid, Grand Rapids, MI
• Pay: $20/hr
• Team: Works with founders across 5 startups and additional MSU Research Foundation portfolio companies
• Mission: To provide strategic and operational support to early-stage startups within an incubator program, contributing to their development and market entry.

What You’ll Actually Do
• Strategic Analysis: Conduct comprehensive market research, develop business strategies, and perform competitive analysis to inform startup decisions.
• Customer Validation: Engage in customer discovery and validation processes to understand user needs and confirm product-market fit for new ventures.
• Initiative Support: Provide direct support for product development, marketing campaigns, and go-to-market strategies to help startups launch and grow.
• Investor Relations: Prepare and refine pitch decks and investor materials to assist founders in securing funding opportunities.
• Opportunity Identification: Analyze industry trends, consumer behavior patterns, and identify potential growth opportunities for various portfolio companies.
• Collaborative Development: Work closely with startup founders and accelerator leadership to foster innovation and project execution within the program.

The Must-Haves
• Background: Currently studying Business, Marketing, Accounting, Entrepreneurship, Technology, or Software Engineering.
• Experience: Demonstrated skills in areas critical to early-stage founders, including customer discovery, business model development, digital product creation, AI prompting, market research, social media strategy, or software development.
• Skills: Analytical, organized, and proactive approach to tasks and project management.
• Skills: Strong communication and problem-solving abilities to effectively collaborate with diverse teams and address challenges.