Global Impact Summer Internships

The 2009 deadline has passed, please stay tuned for 2010 global impact internship details.

This program is designed to provide a cost-effective approach to connecting organizations needing support on specific projects with top-notch University of Michigan graduate students with specific skills and interests.

The internships are generally for 10–12 weeks from May to August. The BoP Initiative facilitates these internships in several ways. First, we provide a stipend and international travel reimbursement for each student participating in an internship. Second, we help identify and recruit the best students from the sizable pool of interested applicants. Third, in some cases, faculty can play an active role in guiding these projects.

Partner organizations are expected to provide students with staff time and any additional resources needed to make the project a success. For more information, please see WDI’s website at www.wdi.umich.edu/Resources/StudentProjects.

In the past, our BoP internships have involved expansion strategies, impact evaluations, marketing strategies, and business plans. Some recent partnerships include:

ACUMEN FUND is a non-profit global venture fund that uses entrepreneurial approaches to solve the problems of global poverty. Two student interns worked on the health and energy portfolios to develop metrics, perform due diligence, and support high-potential investments.

CEMEX in Mexico wanted to expand its Patrimonio Hoy program, which aims to make housing affordable to low-income populations. The student intern worked on a strategic assessment of the initiative’s business model and an evaluation of its poverty alleviation impacts.

For MINLAM ASSET MANAGEMENT in New York City, one student researched the equity market for microfinance institutions (MFI) and other low-income financing entities such as mortgage originators and consumer finance companies focused on the base of the pyramid. In addition, the student identified target countries for the fund and the specific value propositions to the MFIs.

In India, one student evaluated the impact of the SCOJO FOUNDATION on its entrepreneurs, consumers, and partners. The student analyzed Scojo’s existing data on customers and entrepreneurs in order to evaluate economic and social impacts, identified gaps in the Scojo’s current data collection, and recommended priority indicators and metrics for further data collection.

For VITAL WAVE CONSULTING in Costa Rica, one student reviewed and analyzed data to identify trends and correlations that contributed to the development of a unique and powerful database that will enable the market sizing and forecasting of base of the pyramid markets.