MBAs interested in working in social enterprises over their summer have a few very good options. High profile organizations like REDF and New Foundry Ventures offer internships in their portfolio enterprises each summer. Others have worked for Benetech or Juma Ventures.
I spoke to Jade Rex with New Foundry Ventures about their summer internship program. Here is a little about their program in social enterprise:
New Foundry Ventures is a laboratory for scaling social enterprise. Our efforts grew out of the work we began at Rubicon Programs nearly 25 years ago, starting and operating social businesses such as Rubicon Bakery
and Rubicon Landscape Services
Last year New Foundry Ventures poste
d in February for MBA interns and got over 200 resumes from top schools. They hired two interns. One of those interns Michelle Klahr ’12 was hired outside the traditional posting.
Michelle interned worked on one of their new social ventures – Get Cooking located in West Oakland. Get Cooking is their newest social enterprise, a community-cooking club that increases low-income people’s access, both physically and financially, to fresh foods while teaching nutrition and basic cooking skills in a fun and friendly environment.
- Michelle’s SMIF blog: http://csi.gsb.stanford.
edu/learning-how-get-cooking- west-oakland
Michelle was in a course taught by New Foundry Venture founder/GSB Lecturer Rick Aubry. From there they began talking about a possible summer internship.
New Foundry Ventures plans to post summer internship opportunities again in February 2012. Talk to Michelle about her experience and keep an eye on the job board.
>> Social Enterprise Resources
Hear about a great social venture? Let us know!