Did you know TechTown Detroit has an internship program specifically for Wayne State University students? As the university’s entrepreneurship hub, we aim to provide students with an enriching internship experience that will put them on their career trajectory, all while empowering Detroit’s tech founders, entrepreneurs and innovators.

TechTown team members aim to provide students with an enriching internship experience that will put them on their career trajectory, all while empowering Detroit’s tech founders, entrepreneurs and innovators.

Training students for success

Since TechTown was founded in 2000, in part by Wayne State University, the organization and university have maintained a partnership with the shared goal of educating entrepreneurs and catalyzing business activity in and around Detroit. TechTown’s internships, which are exclusively open to Wayne State students, give individuals the opportunity to directly engage in that work. Students can intern with one of TechTown’s several departments — from program departments like Small Business Services to administrative departments like Fund Development.

Interns complete a 15-week paid internship, working 20 hours per week, during a single semester. If the opportunity arises, students can extend their internship for a second semester. Interns receive firsthand experience, coaching and mentoring, and time to connect with team members across TechTown and its partners. Interns can also attend and volunteer at events, like Toast of the Town or for the Comerica Hatch Detroit Contest by TechTown. There, students can network with sponsors and funders, ecosystem partners and the community.

TechTown works closely with university departments to ensure that students are paired with the opportunities that will most benefit them and the work. Dr. Jane Fitzgibbon of the WSU Communication Department was an early champion of the program and initiated financial support for junior standing-specific internships at TechTown in 2021 and 2022.  

TechTown’s internship program also aligns with Wayne State’s College to Career initiative. Introduced by President Kimberly Andrews Espy, Ph.D. in November 2023, this initiative aims to broaden the university’s approach to student success and enhance its impact on the broader community. One of the ways it does that is through “learning by doing” experiences, which include internships, micro-externships and co-ops. TechTown’s interns can explore career interests while earning their degrees and apply their studies to real-world environments.

TechTown Growth Capital intern Austin Churley (second from left) with Ned Staebler (far left), president and CEO of TechTown and vice president for economic Development at Wayne State University, and WSU President Kimberly Andrews Espy Ph.D. (far right) at the 2023 Toast of the Town.

Hands-on experience and growing your network

Austin Churley is a current intern for TechTown’s Growth Capital program, offered through the Tech-based Programs department. He is obtaining his bachelor’s in finance and a minor in entrepreneurship and innovation through the Mike Ilitch School of Business. Churley participates in Wayne State’s Corporate Mentorship Program, the Mike Ilitch School of Business’ Student Leadership Council and the Financial Management Association. He is also the co-founder of Warrior Ventures, a student-run venture fund that aims to bridge the gap between Michigan’s investment ecosystem and Wayne State students. Earlier this month, Churley was named a 2024 Mike Ilitch School of Business 25 Under 25 Award recipient.

As a Growth Capital intern during the fall 2023 and winter 2024 semesters, Churley provides his insight and assists tech founders throughout their entrepreneurial journey. He researches resources that meet different founders’ needs and provides support for Venture 313, an initiative founded in part by TechTown, to provide capital, coaching and resources for tech entrepreneurs to launch their ventures. One of the most notable projects Churley says he’s worked on as an intern is building out “Playbook” content for Venture 313, which helps founders access resources across Detroit to build and scale their businesses. Churley is also assisting the team with planning TechTown events for the 2024 NFL Draft, which will take place in Detroit in late April.

“Interning at TechTown has been an amazing opportunity for not only my education, but my overall network has grown exponentially,” Churley says. “As someone who is pursuing a career in venture capital, as well as founding Wayne State University’s first-ever student-run venture fund, being a part of this team has exposed me to numerous opportunities to learn firsthand what the Detroit startup ecosystem truly looks like, as well as gain a growing passion for building up the city of Detroit economically to empower aspiring entrepreneurs.”

Gabrielle Rush (third from left) began an internship with TechTown’s Entrepreneurial Education department during the fall 2023 semester and extended it to the winter 2024 semester. She’s participated in several events on behalf of TechTown and Wayne State University, including WSU President Kimberly Andrew Espy Ph.D.’s (center) first major address in November 2023. Rush participated in a panel discussion during President Espy’s introduction of the College to Career initiative.

From the classroom to the real world

Another TechTown intern who is successfully applying her studies in the classroom to on-the-job experience is Gabrielle Rush. She interned for TechTown’s Entrepreneurial Education department during the fall 2023 semester and extended her internship to the winter 2024 semester.

Rush is obtaining a bachelor’s in urban studies and public affairs at Wayne State. She is the vice president of the WSU Economics Club, outreach director for M1 Digital Consulting (a student-managed digital consulting agency) and a member of the Mike Ilitch School of Business’ Student Leadership Council. During President Espy’s first major address last November, Rush was one of six student and alumni panelists who shared their college experiences.

As an Entrepreneurial Education intern, Rush has worked on two main projects: mapping out alumni businesses and entrepreneurs of TechTown’s programming using ArcGIS — an online geographic information system software that allows users to connect people, locations and data using interactive maps — and gathering feedback and data from TechTown alumni about their experiences with the Ask an Expert program. Rush says that prior to her internship at TechTown, she had “no experience working with large datasets or conducting geospatial analysis.” By using ArcGIS, she analyzes data to map out alumni addresses, identifies data trends, compiles comprehensive reports, and has a newfound passion for this particular work.

“This exposure has facilitated numerous opportunities for skill development and exploration,” Rush says of her internship. “Notably, I’ve been able to practice public speaking and learned how to use new software applications such as ArcGIS, which are crucial skills within my field of urban planning. I have also learned how entrepreneurship plays a vital role in economic development, in the larger scheme of planning. Witnessing firsthand how entrepreneurial initiatives contribute to urban development has broadened my understanding and enriched my perspective on the dynamics of community development.”

TechTown will open applications for the fall 2024 semester internships in July. Students can look out for internship job postings on Handshake.