2021 Summer Internship
What is the Emerson Collective Summer Internship Program?
We are recruiting a diverse team of 30 rising college sophomores, juniors, and seniors who are committed to helping communities, are passionate about social justice, and are driven to accelerate positive impact in our world.
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Summer Internships: Health and safety are our top priorities. At this time, we plan to proceed with the 2021 summer internship program in person. We will continue to closely monitor the COVID-19 situation and will provide updates as needed on a shift to remote / virtual internships.
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Over the course of an eight-week paid internship in the summer of 2021, Emerson Collective will catalyze an extraordinary and talented group of college students through mentorship, enriching programs, and meaningful work experience.
Selected Interns will work out of the Emerson Collective offices in Palo Alto, California or Washington, DC. Those interning with XQ will be based in Oakland, California. Placement locations will be determined by the internship and we are unable to accommodate adjustments.
Areas of focus include, but are not limited to, communications, project support, events, policy, and research. Summer interns will also participate in weekly programming designed to develop leadership capacity and build out professional networks.
Available Positions:
The Communications team supports both internal and external communications efforts for Emerson Collective. The Communications intern will provide support as needed in drafting social media content, creating briefs, and gathering research for Emerson Collective and partners within the EC ecosystem. They should have excellent planning and organizational skills with the ability to manage priorities and tasks in a fast-paced setting with teams in different time zones. Applicants should be strong writers with an eye for the news cycle, with an interest in further developing their writing skills. Additionally, they should have strong verbal communication skills and the ability to collaborate with the Communications Team that spans the nation. The communications intern will work at the Emerson Collective offices in Palo Alto.
The East Palo Alto (EPA) Team advances equity and social justice by focusing on the following core areas: urban planning and policy, engineering, community advocacy and building, responsible real estate investment and development, and environmental studies. The intern on the EPA Team will work collaboratively in support of community development, real estate projects, and community engagement efforts which will demand strong communication and critical thinking skills. The intern will explore, organize, and document background research on potential partners, technologies, solutions, and studies related to the development and operations for the EPA community. In addition, the intern will support the team’s placemaking efforts in EPA. The EPA intern will work at the Bloomhouse in East Palo Alto.
The Engineering and Data Science Team investigates and develops technology products that aim to advance social justice. We work within Emerson Collective, and with our partner organizations, to collect and analyze data to help inform organizational strategies and roadmaps. An Engineering or Data Science intern will work on projects ranging from developing interactive dashboards, prototyping mobile apps, creating predictive models, building web scrapers or data pipelines. The intern must be able to voice their opinions and give and collect feedback on projects/ideas. Engineering interns must also be able to respond to ongoing changes with their projects, partly or even completely, based on feedback and changing priorities. Interns should ideally be proficient in Excel, Python, and SQL. The Engineering and Data Science intern will work at the Emerson Collective offices in Palo Alto.
E Pluribus Unum is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization whose mission is to build a more just, equitable, and inclusive South. EPU focuses on 1) cultivating and empowering courageous leaders who are advancing racial equity, 2) championing transformative policy change, and 3) changing the divisive narratives that perpetuate systemic and interpersonal racism. Summer interns on the EPU Team will demonstrate thorough research and detail-oriented writing skills. They will have the opportunity to draft programmatic briefings and issue memos in support of critical interests at EPU. Interns will also develop their administrative and organizational capacities by assisting with key activities for EPU’s programs. The EPU interns will work at the Emerson Collective Offices in Washington DC.
Emerson Collective Fellowships support remarkable individuals who are advancing important work in our organization’s priority areas. Our fellowship programs aim to encourage social entrepreneurs, journalists, scientists, lawyers, artists, academics, and beyond to make groundbreaking advancements, embark on bold new projects, shape public conversations, and grow their impact. The Fellows intern will support the day-to-day management of the fellowship programs by helping manage the Fellows inbox and calendar, supporting our application, interview, and selection process, and helping us plan our fall Fellows gathering and other ongoing virtual events. The intern will also perform research and writing projects to support our ongoing fellowship initiatives. The Fellows intern should have exceptional writing and editing skills and have an interest in event planning, communications, and community management. They should be deeply collaborative, professional, and have a strong interest in Emerson Collective’s mission. The Fellows intern will work at the Emerson Collective Offices in Palo Alto.
The Finance Team supports all teams at Emerson Collective. The Finance Team intern will work to strengthen our existing financial systems; improve financial management reporting; and conduct research projects. These projects will involve high-level research and analytics, and interns will have the opportunity to take point on the information presented and data visualization. Interns on the Finance Team will have a demonstrated history of analytical, data management, and presentation skills. They will also have the opportunity to work on real financial and administrative challenges. Interns must be excellent communicators as they will be tasked with seeking information and feedback from all parties across the Emerson Collective ecosystem. They will be expected to analyze their research and present their findings. The Finance intern will work at the Emerson Collective Offices in Palo Alto.
The Health Team supports groundbreaking research and organizations that are advancing public health equity. Health interns will perform research and analysis of new markets, technologies, competitive landscape, and share findings with the team. They will support diligence efforts on potential investments and support existing portfolio companies. Interns must be self-starters that are flexible and excited to solve complex problems. They will have a passion for health care and/or cancer research. Health interns will have a demonstrated lab history with an interest in the intersection of academia, philanthropy, business, and impact investing. The Health intern will work at the Emerson Collective offices in Palo Alto.
The Immigration Team approaches local and national immigration issues through a social justice lens. Interns on the Immigration Team will support critical research and writing projects; they will focus on federal and state-based immigration policy, and will explore the various dimensions of migration, including that which is induced or accelerated by climate change. Working with the Immigration Hub, interns will engage in rapid response work while also developing their administrative and organizational capacities. Interns will also build flexibility by adapting and contributing to special projects that arise across other teams at Emerson Collective. The Immigration Team interns will work at the Emerson Collective offices in Washington DC.
The Information Technology Team sets out to create a “best in class” IT organization emphasizing customer service and technical excellence. The IT intern will partner with the Systems and Operations teams to support current project implementation tasks. Project implementation tasks and scope of work include gathering and defining business requirements, then planning for and executing on these respective tasks. The IT intern will work in a team environment, collaborating with others and growing skills in the areas of service delivery and task management. Working with the IT team, the intern will have the opportunity to contribute meaningfully to the overall organization. The IT intern will work at the Emerson Collective offices in Palo Alto.
The Legal Team provides legal support for internal projects, external partnerships, and investments. A summer internship on the Legal Team provides experience in detail-oriented administrative functions and the opportunity to work alongside a team that supports the entire organization. We expect that the legal interns will demonstrate interest in a wide range of legal topics (corporate law, investments, nonprofit law, real estate, intellectual property and employment law). Legal interns will contribute to several projects simultaneously across multiple areas of law – including projects that involve drafting and reviewing contracts and investment documents, preparation of summary memos, thorough contract management and administrative support, general paralegal support, lease review, and research on various legal matters. Qualified candidates must be eager to advance their understanding of nuanced legal frameworks and be willing to dedicate time-intensive effort into our projects. Legal interns must further exhibit keen judgement, a proactive attitude, adaptability in a fast-paced and ever- changing environment, and superior time management skills. Experience with paralegal support and contract management will be advantageous. Legal interns will encounter sensitive information and are therefore expected to maintain a high degree of professional confidentiality inside and outside of the organization. The Legal interns will work at the Emerson Collective offices in Palo Alto.
The Marketing and Creative Studio Team drives the brand for Emerson Collective and our priority areas, working to change hearts and minds with world-class storytelling and creativity. Marketing is comprised of roles across brand management, creative, digital, strategy, production, and content creation, so there is a diverse range of responsibilities. We are seeking two interns who are passionate about social impact, brand marketing, and the creative process, and are eager to jump in with a ‘no task too small’ mentality. Of the three descriptions below, please indicate on your resumé which position best fits your skillset.
- A design intern work primarily with the creative team on graphic design projects to support Emerson Collective brand assets, priority area projects, our website, and digital assets. They would be assigned to 1-2 core Emerson Collective projects to focus on for the summer and will be integrated into the project team. The intern has to be open to feedback and have working knowledge of Figma and the Adobe Creative Suite.
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A brand leadership intern would work primarily with brand leads assisting with strategy, project management and production on issue area projects and Emerson Collective brand work. This intern would be assigned to 1-2 core Emerson Collective projects to focus on for the summer and will be integrated into the project team.
- A digital intern would support Emerson Collective’s website through content creation, analytics and digital marketing campaigns. The intern must have familiarity with developing digital content, working on CMS platforms, managing social channels and a basic understanding of web development.
The marketing interns will work at the Emerson Collective offices in Palo Alto.
The Office of the President serves as a central hub for Emerson Collective’s efforts to create systemic change in education, immigration, climate, cancer research and treatment, and beyond. The intern in the Office of the President will execute research, provide support on special projects, assist in the planning of site visits, and help draft briefing memos and other materials. This person will work closely with both the Manager of Planning and the Executive Assistant to the President. The ideal candidate will have knowledge and curiosity in cross-disciplinary topics, including education, immigration, climate, politics, food access, and the arts. Preference will be given to applicants with extensive research experience, and strong written and verbal communication skills. The Office of the President intern will work at the Emerson Collective offices in Palo Alto.
Emerson Collective’s Managing Director works across multiple teams, leading research in place-based planning and finance projects across Emerson Collective. The Strategic Planning and Development intern will conduct research on urban planning issues and should have an interest in both urban development and finance. Additionally, the intern will explore innovative technologies and solutions to complex problems and should have some level of background in financing mechanisms and strategies. Projects will involve high-level research and analytics, and interns should expect to develop materials for presentations, meetings, and convenings. The intern will interact with team members across the Collective, including multiple time zones, and should be an excellent communicator as they will be tasked with seeking information and feedback from a variety of team members. Research experience as well as experience developing graphic presentations is preferred. The intern will work at the Emerson Collective offices in Washington DC.
The People (HR) Team powers the employee experience of Emerson Collective employees, and of those in the EC ecosystem. A summer internship on the People Team will provide an in-depth lens into the inner workings of our stellar HR & Recruiting operations as well as the opportunity to work alongside a collaborative team that provides support across the entire organization. Interns should have a general interest in HR and/or Recruiting and stated interest in one or more of our core areas of focus, including but not limited to, onboarding, recruitment, benefits, HR tech systems, performance feedback, employee relations, and/or compliance). A People Team intern will contribute to several projects simultaneously in many of the core team functions – with assignments ranging from research on various roles, people program operations and analytics drafting and reviewing position descriptions, assisting with online job postings, and facilitating the onboarding of new hires. The intern will build their capacity to manage and prioritize a range of responsibilities. Successful candidates should exhibit attention to detail, sound judgment, excellent communication skills, the ability to prioritize and manage tasks with competing priority level, as well as a proactive attitude and the ability to maintain confidentiality and discretion at all times. The People Team intern will work at the Emerson Collective offices in Palo Alto.
The Political Director and Senior Director of Public Affairs seek an intern to assist in the implementation and development of high-impact strategies in support of Emerson Collective’s core social tenants. This includes coalition building, political outreach, research, project development and the management of stakeholder relationships at the national, regional, state, and local levels across a variety of issue areas including immigration, community building, arts and culture, policy, and the environment. The intern will also implement and execute smart, high- impact integrated and strategic communications and public affairs strategies that extend our influence, media coverage, coalition development, message, digital presence and stakeholder relationships at the national, regional, state and local levels across a variety of our issue areas. The intern should be interested in a wide variety of social and cultural issues, ready to dive into work, and be creative at approaching problems and finding solutions. Ideally, the intern should have experience in research and information gathering, interest in writing, including drafting social and press materials, a general grasp of current events, an eye for detail, and an energy to learn and grow in a fun and interactive environment. Previous political and/or government internships or public affairs internships preferred. The Political & Public Affairs intern will work at the Emerson Collective offices in Washington DC.
The Venture Investing Team makes venture capital investments in mission-driven technology companies that aim to remove barriers to human potential and create positive social impact at scale, aligning with Emerson Collective’s overall values. The Venture Investing Team invests in both early and growth stage companies at the intersection of impact and financial returns, from Seed stage to pre-IPO, primarily in the FinTech, Digital Health, EdTech, and Future of Work sectors.
The Venture Investing intern will help support Emerson Collective’s investing work through sourcing, diligence (which can include participating in company pitches, market research, financial modeling, reference calls, etc.), execution (including cap table modeling, legal process, and portfolio company onboarding), and post-investment support (in conjunction with our dedicated Venture Platform team). The intern will also be expected to deep dive into an industry of choice over the summer to create an actionable market map and thesis for potential investment candidates.
We are seeking individuals who are passionate about startups and technology, detail oriented, have a quantitative background and experience, are comfortable with working autonomously and independently in a fast-paced environment, and are strong writers. Excel and Powerpoint experience is a must. We will teach interns how to use our systems and tools and venture-specific skills. Rising seniors are preferred.
The Venture Investing intern will work at the Emerson Collective office in Palo Alto.
The Venture Investing Team makes venture capital investments in mission-driven technology companies that align with the overall values of Emerson Collective. The Platform group provides Emerson Collective’s venture investment companies (aka portfolio companies) with a variety support to help them achieve impact at scale and grow their enterprise value. The Venture Investment Platform intern will help support Emerson Collective’s portfolio companies through an assortment of projects that include event planning, community building, content development and writing, data entry and analysis, and research. These projects will span multiple sectors and topics including impact, DE&I, hiring, and growth (eg sales and marketing). Past Platform intern projects have included writing the weekly CEO newsletter, developing a corporate impact structure guide for internal use, helping input content and creating a website, salesforce data entry and report building, researching different communication tools, and building decks.
We are seeking individuals who are detail oriented, have experience with qualitative research and data analysis, can organize information in a coherent way, are comfortable with working iteratively, and are strong writers. Simple quantitative data analysis experience is a plus along with Excel and Keynote experience. Venture investing interns will learn how to use our systems and tools and will be coached on the skills needed to accomplish projects. Rising juniors or seniors are strongly preferred.
The Venture Investments Platform intern will work at the Emerson Collective office in Palo Alto.
XQ Institute is the nation’s leading organization dedicated to rethinking the high school experience so that every student graduates ready to succeed in life. We work in communities throughout the country, with individual schools and entire school systems, to help them dream big about what high school could be, turn their innovative ideas into action, and create more rigorous and equitable schools. We share what’s working with other schools and districts, so they can tailor new models to the needs of their own students and communities. We know that seeing is believing, so we meet people where they are to share the importance and possibility of change through listening, learning, and storytelling. And our open-source tools, based on research and design thinking, empower people to take up the challenge of transforming their high schools with a unifying goal: unlocking the American promise of a high-quality education for everyone. XQ is seeking summer interns to support several initiatives across various teams including School Success; Research, Policy, & Partnerships; Education Content & Tools; Marketing, Creative, & Strategy; and Operations. Working as a team of fellow interns, these interns will work on collaborative projects supporting several initiatives giving them experience and exposure to a wide cross-section of our work. Summer interns should have experience with creating detail-oriented project plans as they’ll help with the execution and coordination of various summer projects. Interns may also employ creative writing and photography in the curation of new content for our ongoing social media efforts. The expansion of our policy platform is a central goal for 2021, so it is expected that interns will have strong research, writing, and communication abilities. The interns will work at the XQ offices in Oakland, CA.
We the Action is an online platform that makes it easy for lawyers to find and volunteer with leading nonprofits that are fighting for justice and equality. The summer intern will provide administrative and organizational support to the We The Action team, including researching potential nonprofit partners and pro bono legal projects, and drafting social media posts. Our interns are expected to be proactive and adaptive thinkers, possess strong oral and written communication skills, and bring a sense of optimism to any task. The intern will work at the Emerson Collective office in Washington DC.
The Youth and Community Engagement Team builds relationships with academic institutions, foundations, nonprofits, and the private sector to promote sustainability and increase impact. They primarily focus on our youth programming and internships, while collaborating with other youth-focused partners at Emerson Collective. Summer Interns will support these initiatives by conducting thorough research and helping draft briefs, memos, and meeting agendas. They may be tasked with creating slide-decks, workshop portfolios, and managing events. The Youth and Community Engagement Intern will work at the Emerson Collective offices in Washington DC.
Candidate Qualifications for All Positions:
- All interns may encounter sensitive information and are expected to maintain a high level of discretion and confidentiality.
- Flexible and adaptive work ethic; all interns will contribute to special projects across different teams as they arise.
- Competent problem solving and confident self-starting skills
- You’re passionate about social impact, particularly fighting poverty, improving schools, making government work well for all, environment, and/or immigrants’ rights.
- You’re intellectually curious. You love learning new things. You learn quickly and independently. You respond to new ideas, projects, and tasks with enthusiasm and a sense of possibility.
- You’re creative and resourceful when solving problems or completing tasks.
- You have exceptional organization skills. You have strong prioritization skills, including time management and project management skills, and always follow through.
- You have excellent written and oral communication skills, including the ability to develop materials for internal and external audiences. You can communicate complex information clearly and concisely with everyone in the organization and with external stakeholders.
- You maintain a team-oriented approach and thrive in entrepreneurial, dynamic environments. You’re comfortable taking on new tasks or projects with little direction and adjusting course quickly in response to feedback.
- You have high standards for accuracy, quality, and integrity.
- You respond to new ideas, projects, and tasks with enthusiasm and a sense of
- possibility.
Compensation:
This is a paid internship that offers both housing and travel stipends.