Last fall, students from the University of Connecticut\u2019s Masters of Business Administration (MBA) program had the opportunity to work with UConn-based startups gaining unique experiences while helping these companies tackle business challenges.<\/p>\n
Startup environments are much more fluid than traditional corporations and students may find themselves tackling varied tasks. In larger, established companies, students tend to have well-defined roles with predictable challenges. A startup could not be more different.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey\u2019re thrown into the deep end of the pool, learning how to survive and be successful,\u201d says Abhijit (Jit) Banerjee, UConn\u2019s associate vice president of innovation and entrepreneurship. \u00a0\u201cHaving this experience of working hands-on in a very dynamic environment is very different.\u201d<\/p>\n
Of the six students who participated in the program, only one had previous experience with a startup.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey don\u2019t get enough of a chance to see the full working group of a large company,\u201d says Mostafa Analoui, executive director for venture development at UConn. \u201cIn a startup, students are part of a small team that includes everyone from bench scientists to the CEO.\u201d<\/p>\n
\nIn a startup, students are part of a small team that includes everyone from bench scientists to the CEO. — Mostafa Analoui<\/cite><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
The MBA Venture Fellow program<\/a> pairs students\u2019 interests and skills with companies\u2019 needs. Students get valuable experience working with a startup, and the companies can solve real-world problems thanks to the talented students.<\/p>\n
\u201cHaving mature students with business skills come on board in a very focused way to pay attention to the business side will help the company move forward,\u201d Analoui says. \u201cEvery student, every company had a very unique profile for their expectation of the job. That was a critical element.\u201d<\/p>\n
The program was developed as a collaborative effort between the MBA program and Technology Commercialization Services.<\/p>\n
\u201cBecoming a Venture Fellow is a great opportunity for students to apply what they are learning in the classroom, in a meaningful, hands-on way,\u201d says Michael Bozzi, director of executive & full-time MBA. \u201cAs they are involved in the entire value chain of a company, they build skills in all key areas of business, in real time.\u201d<\/p>\n
Jason Wiles, a student in the MBA program, worked with UConn startup Savkar.AI<\/a>. Savkar.AI is developing a product called Stemify, which uses AI to target problem areas in math learning for college students and is located at UConn\u2019s incubator, the Technology Incubation Program (TIP)<\/a>. The company was founded by UConn mathematics professor Amit Savkar to address problems he saw in his classroom.<\/p>\n
Wiles\u2019 primary role was in operations and data processing, but he had a hand in many other facets of the company.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt definitely was a great lesson to come into a company and just start rolling up your sleeves, no matter what the job description was,\u201d Wiles says. \u201cAnd it was great to be thanked for that work.\u201d<\/p>\n
Wiles says one of the largest takeaways he had from working with Savkar.AI is the importance of being able to communicate with people from diverse backgrounds. Wiles regularly spoke with people on both the engineering and business side of the business team.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was a very valuable experience to talk to people on both sides,\u201d Wiles says. \u201cIf you\u2019re not doing your best to accommodate other people\u2019s perspectives, you\u2019re doing everyone a disservice because you\u2019re not speaking their language.\u201d<\/p>\n
Alok Bhatt, a student in the MBA program pursuing specialization in business analytics, worked with 3D Array Technology<\/a> (3 DAT). 3 DAT produces 3D nano-catalysts that do not rely on expensive precious metals like most industrial catalysts do. 3 DAT is another UConn startup, having been founded by UConn engineers, Yanbing Guo and Pu-Xian Gao. It is also located at TIP.<\/p>\n
When Bhatt joined the team, 3 DAT was already working with NASA. Bhatt\u2019s goal was to help the company expand to other customers and industries outside of aeronautics.<\/p>\n
As a part of the team, Bhatt helped 3 DAT conduct interviews with 33 potential customers and compiled the qualitative and quantitative data. Bhatt used data analytics to parse this data and determine the best targets<\/span> areas for expansion, which turned out to be the automotive and indoor air filtration industries.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat parsing and analysis of data really helped us in taking a step back, looking at the whole picture, and realizing what we needed to do next,\u201d Bhatt says.<\/p>\n
Bhatt had worked with startups before as an intern with the Connecticut Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation<\/a> (CCEI) and knew he would like the fast-paced startup environment.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat I really enjoy is working at the ground level with a company\u2019s team,\u201d Bhatt says. \u201cI enjoy interacting with people and learning from them.\u201d<\/p>\n
The goal of programs like the MBA Venture Fellows is to provide students with experiences they cannot have in a classroom.<\/p>\n
We believe that every student has the capacity to gain meaningful and transferable skills when they engage in entrepreneurship and innovation, even if they themselves aren\u2019t the ones starting a company (or not ready to start a company yet),\u201d says Jennifer Murphy, CCEI director. \u201cIt comes full circle for us because many of the startups these students are working with got their start at CCEI, likeSavkar.AI and 3 DAT. It is a great example of how elements within UConn\u2019s entrepreneurial ecosystem continuously support each other.\u201d<\/p>\n
Banerjee says he hopes these kinds of internship programs help encourage UConn students to consider various career paths and possibly even inspire them to become entrepreneurs.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re helping ignite the flame one might have in himself or herself to take on a challenge and create something new,\u201d Banerjee says.<\/p>\n
Based on the success of the program, Analoui says they plan to expand next fall to include more students and companies.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was mutually a very, very successful experience,\u201d Analoui says. \u201cAnd that\u2019s why we decided to repeat it on a larger scale.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe were very proud of this inaugural group and thrilled to see so many important outcomes for students as well as the companies they worked with,\u201d Bozzi says.<\/p>\n
This experience also provides MBA students with valuable connections and experience for future jobs.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur students are our best advocates,\u201d Banerjee says. \u201cWe\u2019re grateful they have appreciated what\u00a0 this opportunity provides them, no matter which company they work with or which role they played.\u201d<\/p>\n
Follow UConn Research on<\/em> Twitter<\/em><\/a> &<\/em> LinkedIn<\/em><\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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