Blazing a Virtual Trail

In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, many traditional student internship experiences were cancelled and postponed this past summer. Recognizing the need for students to gain valuable experience and build a network of connections, Carolina innovation and entrepreneurship leaders stepped up to quickly develop a summer consulting internship pilot program. 

Program leaders from Innovate Carolina, the Shuford Program in Entrepreneurship and The Entrepreneurship Center at Kenan-Flagler Business School came together and partnered with District C, a North Carolina-based nonprofit organization, to create the Entrepreneurial Consulting Internship Program that benefited both Carolina students and their surrounding community.

“Without our innovation and entrepreneurial partners coming together, this program would not have been possible,” said Sheryl Waddell, director of the Innovate Carolina Global Network. “We are so pleased with the results of the program, the learning experience it provided and the work the students and companies were able to accomplish together in such a short time frame.”

This program brought together students from both the Shuford Program and Kenan-Flagler to collaborate as a team to work with local non-profits.

“It was very beneficial to have a diverse group of students as Shuford students and Kenan-Flagler students bring different strengths and ideas to the table,” added Connor Folk, a student in the Shuford Program. “Shuford students usually have much more experience in idea generation and design thinking, while Kenan-Flagler students are very strong at practicality and the logistics of the process.”

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