Learn more about the Sage Corps internship and other opportunities from the Zell Lurie Institute for Entrepreneurial Studies.
August 8, 2014
More Ross Students Doing Cool Things This Summer
Continuing the trend of Ross students seemingly trying to outdo each other with their summer activities, four Ross BBA students have spent the last several weeks working hand-in-hand with various startup companies in Argentina.
The students are fellows in the Sage Corps program, an experiential learning program that “sends top undergraduate students into foreign countries to work with tech startups.” The program is coordinated through the Zell Lurie Institute here at Ross.
Doing everything from helping expand language translation services into China to bringing more Latin American home decor to the states, the students have been able to have quite the impact with their companies already this summer.
We asked each of the Ross Sage Corps participants to give us a taste of their summer. Check out their experiences below.
Sage Corps Students Working in Argentina
“FormaFina is an e-commerce marketplace for home decor and design. My main focus this summer involves building relationship with U.S. suppliers. My goal is to identify and reach out to brands that meet market interest and initiate partnerships with them,” Kathleen says.
“FormaFina has offices in four cities around the world. But the Buenos Aires office has less than 10 employees, so I get to experience all parts of the business, and I frequently work closely with the company’s CEO. It’s really fascinating to have many small global offices, because I am on calls and working with people from around the world every single day.”
“I was given a lot of responsibility right away, and I love the fact that as a 19-year-old college student, I can add value to this company and alter their business decisions based on my work,” Danni says.
She’s working with Gear Translations, an online platform that offers collaborative translations with actual humans. The company has more than 1,000 translators all over the world.
“I’m helping the company with their pricing model and market expansion plans. They’re launching into China in the coming month, and having been born in China, my Mandarin skills allow me to give them an inside perspective.”
“My responsibilities here are far beyond those I would get at some of the other places I was considering for this summer,” Mike says.
He’s working for Cookapp, a social tool that connects those who love to cook with those who love to eat.
“You host meals at your home and Cookapp users sign up for events and experience homemade meals and a social event all in the same setting.
“Things move so fast here, the work culture is so energetic, and I am getting a look at how the startup community operates in a foreign country. Even in eight weeks, I will have contributed more to Cookapp than I ever would have been able to at a big company.”
Jacob is working with OMLatam Academy, a startup specializing in digital marketing courses for Latin American professionals.
“I’m helping develop a business plan for expanding this company’s operations and analyzing the economic climate of other Latin American countries while researching competitors and existing companies that are suitable for partnerships,” he says.
“Because this is a startup, I can feel the impact my work has on the company. Which really allows for a meaningful connection to the work I am doing. I know that it matters.”
Because of the closeness he feels to the work, Jacob said the Sage Corps experience is very different from a traditional internship.
“And obviously, it’s also an international experience in a Spanish-speaking country,” he says. “Which is what I wanted.”