From Interns to Innovators: How Internships are Shaping High-Tech Careers Within the MSU Ecosystem
Success stories from Enspired Solutions, Great Lakes Crystal Technologies, and the MSU Research Foundation reveal how internships and mentorship are critical in developing and retaining high-tech talent in the region.
Written by Rich Keener
Every year, the nation honors interns and celebrates their contributions on National Intern Day, which falls on the last Thursday of July—this year on July 25. Interning and mentorship play an important role in the Michigan State University innovation ecosystem, connecting local talent with high-tech industry. Success stories from Enspired Solutions, Great Lakes Crystal Technologies, and the MSU Research Foundation illustrate how these relationships foster growth and innovation, contributing to the development and retention of technology businesses in the region.
Inspired mentoring at Enspired Solutions
For interns to be most successful, the support and input of knowledgeable and skilled mentors is vital. Denise Kay, CEO of Enspired Solutions, a Research Foundation portfolio company that has designed technology that destroys toxic PFAS (per- and polyfluoralkyl substances) in water, understands the importance and value of mentorship.
“In my career and life it took both the mentors that put up roadblocks and those that opened doors to solidify my understanding that two women could found a deep-tech/clean-tech company and succeed,” Kay said. “Each of us is always mentoring whether we are aware of it or not. I do my best to mentor actively and with positive intent.”
Enspired Solutions has worked with interns through the Michigan Economic Development Corporation’s STEAM Ahead program (formerly STEM Forward Michigan) for three years, and most of those interns are now either full- or part-time employees at the company.
Kay said both the individual and the business benefit from a short-term commitment to determine if they are the right fit for each other.
“Providing opportunities is important to our mission,” she said. “I love to hear the excitement in a candidate’s voice when they learn they are going to have a chance to work with a startup that is making a meaningful difference in the world.”
Mentoring at Great Lakes Crystal Technologies
Keith Evans started as an Entrepreneur-In-Residence (EIR) at the MSU Research Foundation in the summer of 2019. In August of that year, he cofounded Great Lakes Crystal Technologies (GLCT) with MSU electrical and computer engineering professor Timothy Grotjohn.
Leveraging decades of research at Michigan State in diamond materials and applications, GLCT’s mission is to become the leading provider of high-performance diamond materials for high-technology applications.
STEAM Ahead supported four student interns at GLCT, three of which turned into full-time employees, while one had to relocate due to family commitments.
“The program is great for interns who can kick our tires and if they decide not to go all in then they can move on without a short regular employment stint on their resume,” Evans said. “It’s great for us for similar reasons.”
Intern to venture capital investor
As a Ph.D. student in plant biology at Michigan State, John Tran was part of the Research Foundation’s Venture Fellows graduate program from the fall of 2019 through the spring of 2020. He collaborated with an MBA student and another Ph.D. student to transform university technology into a viable startup. Their innovation, a wearable badge empowered by a camera and artificial intelligence, aimed to predict human emotions and assist visually impaired users in enhancing communication skills.
Tran said his experience significantly contributed to his preparedness for a role as a venture capital investor and equipped him with the skills to understand technical commercialization roadmaps and identify robust business models for deep technologies.
In the summer of 2020, Tran was an intern in the Foundation’s CADE (Conquer Accelerator Diversity in Entrepreneurship) internship program.
During his CADE internship, he collaborated closely with Mark Sands, the founder of the business startup Building CATALYST, actively participating in brainstorming sessions, strategic planning, product development, and market analysis.
He found the experience invaluable.
“This hands-on experience sharpened my problem-solving skills and ignited my passion for software technology and artificial intelligence,” Tran said.
He called his time as an intern a “foundational experience” that prepared him to excel at his first startup, where he helped build a global open innovation platform that enabled companies to collaborate with scientists worldwide, fast-tracking their entry into the marketplace.
“This role further cemented my commitment to leveraging technology and innovation to solve complex challenges and drive business success,” Tran said, noting that the insights he gained were invaluable in evaluating and supporting startups with innovative products and technologies. “My internships and fellowships at the MSU Research Foundation played a pivotal role in my transition to the venture capital industry.”
Tran is currently a venture associate for Red Cedar Ventures and Michigan Rise, venture investment subsidiaries of the MSU Research Foundation, supporting early-stage founders in building successful startups and serving as a partner in their journey to bring technology to market.
“My objective is to assist our organization in making investments in early-stage companies that will achieve a million dollars in revenue in their first couple of years and later reach 100 million in revenue by years five to eight,” he said.
Tran said mentors in early-stage tech companies help interns understand the unique challenges and opportunities that come with working in a startup environment and can provide guidance on product development, customer acquisition, and fundraising, helping interns learn how to navigate the fast-paced and often unpredictable world of early-stage tech.
“In my own experience, having mentors in both areas was incredibly beneficial,” he said. “My mentor in the venture fund provided me with a solid foundation in finance and investment analysis, while my mentor in the tech company helped me understand the nuances of building and scaling a startup. Their combined guidance helped me navigate my internship roles successfully and provided me with a well-rounded perspective on the venture capital and tech industries.”
Tran said in his current role at Michigan Rise and Red Cedar Ventures he mentors junior venture capitalists (VCs), providing tailored guidance and organizing training sessions in financial modeling, market analysis, and pitching.
“My approach is hands-on, providing the guidance and resources for junior VCs to succeed in venture capital,” he said.
Intern to computer science education innovator
Saransh Mehta is another former MSU Research Foundation intern who has found success in the high-tech field.
Mehta interned with the Michigan Rise team from October to December 2023.
During this time, he was involved with overseeing various stages of the venture capital deal process.
Mehta said that from his time on his capstone project, sharing his progress and getting feedback from the team was a major highlight for him, as the team created an environment for him to foster his curiosity while also using their insights and immense knowledge to help guide him down the right avenues when he felt stuck.
“Everyone on the team was really supportive along each step and allowed me to maximize the outcomes from both the project and my internship,” he said.
Earlier this year, Mehta’s friends and roommates from the summer of 2023 asked if he would like to join their team working on an ed-tech SaaS (software as service) platform to make learning computer science a more positive and enjoyable experience. They shared the challenges they faced both as students and teaching assistants in computer science.
“As a mechanical engineering student, I shared Rajmeet and Aman’s concerns with the current environment and platforms being used to deliver these courses. So I joined the Odin Classroom team on Valentine’s Day, 2024,” Mehta said. “Since then, we have been hard at work, speaking to students, instructors, investors, and mentors to make learning computer science easier.”
Mehta is the chief financial officer of Odin Classroom and reports that the startup will be a part of the MSU Research Foundation Conquer Accelerator program’s summer 2024 cohort.
“We look forward to the journey ahead!”
Simply smart business
Both the short- and long-term demands for qualified, skilled workers at high-tech companies are great. A proven way for a company to meet those demands is to engage in expert mentorship of interns who are eager to make a difference.
Tran said that building a strong talent pipeline and leveraging internships as a recruitment strategy can help early-stage companies and leaner organizations compete more effectively with larger tech firms.
“This approach not only addresses the challenges of securing talent but also fosters a culture of growth and innovation within the organization,” he said.
That culture of growth and innovation, spurred by internships and mentorship, often leads to greater success for high-tech startups.
For these startups, employing an internship program, such as STEAM Ahead, might be one of the smartest business decisions they can make.
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About the MSU Research Foundation
The MSU Research Foundation supports the Michigan State University ecosystem with resources that increase the impact of research and innovation. The Foundation achieves its mission through grant programs that contribute over $10 million annually to the University, entrepreneurial programming and early-stage investments that accelerate technology transfer and startup growth throughout Michigan, and environments where startup businesses and collaborators can thrive. The Foundation’s work is made possible through its stewardship of a flexible and sustainable endowment, nourished by over 50 years of licensing revenues and investment returns. Learn more about the MSU Research Foundation and its impact at msufoundation.org.