Student Opportunities
NC IDEA has three different opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students to support our work and engage directly with NC startups. Competitive candidates for all opportunities will have a demonstrated interest in startups and entrepreneurship.
STARTUP ANALYST ASSOCIATE
Startup Analyst Associates will be involved in evaluating and selecting grant recipients for the NC IDEA SEED ($50K) grant program. Since its inception in 2006, NC IDEA SEED has awarded over $9.7 million to 212 companies across the state.
Throughout the year-long engagement, Startup Analyst Associates can expect to be part of a team reviewing ~300 SEED grant applications (business plans) from growth-oriented startups across North Carolina in business categories such as software, IP-based technologies, medical device/diagnostics, and consumer products. These applications are evaluated through an “investor’s lens,” as the principal goal of NC IDEA SEED is to position companies for further growth and/or funding.
Startup Analyst Associates can expect to assist in the review and evaluation of all SEED grant applications, make recommendations to the team based on due diligence findings, and actively participate in meetings with the NC IDEA staff and its review team of Angel/VC Investors, subject matter experts, and partners from across the state. As the pool of applicants narrows, the Associates may also take on modest coaching and advising roles with the management teams of competitive applicants.
This program is ideal for graduate students interested in 1) having an investment career with an angel/venture capital firm or 2) entrepreneurs and entrepreneurially minded students looking to enhance their knowledge of the startup landscape in North Carolina and/or gain a better understanding of how young ventures are evaluated by investors.
Interested applicants can view the 2025 NC IDEA Startup Analyst Associate Webinar and access the presentation deck here.
The Startup Analyst Associate application for 2025 is now CLOSED. For any additional questions, please email programs@ncidea.org.
Summer Graduate Startup Consultant Fellowship
NC IDEA is seeking talented students with a demonstrated interest in startups and entrepreneurship for a summer opportunity providing consulting support to startups. Fellows will receive the opportunity to work directly with emerging startups who have received NC IDEA’s SEED and MICRO grants. The fellowship requires a full-time, 40-hour/week commitment for 10 weeks during June-August. While the fellowship targets 1st year MBA candidates, students in other graduate programs with corresponding interests are encouraged to apply.
This program is ideal for entrepreneurs and entrepreneurially minded graduate students to gain leadership experience while 1) looking to enhance their knowledge of challenges facing startups and the overall startup landscape in North Carolina, 2) considering working with startups after graduation, or 3) planning on an investment career with an angel/venture capital firm.
Interested applicants can view the 2025 NC IDEA Summer Fellowship and Internship Webinar and access the presentation deck.
The Summer Graduate Startup Consultant Fellowship application for 2025 is now CLOSED. For any additional questions, please email programs@ncidea.org.
Summer Undergraduate Internship
NC IDEA seeks talented undergraduate students with a genuine interest in startups and entrepreneurship, regardless of major, as demonstrated by taking an entrepreneurship class, starting a business, working at a startup, or some other relevant experience. Candidates should possess life experiences or personal perspectives relating to the underserved populations we serve through our grants and programs, including people of color, women, and rural or economically distressed communities.
This internship will provide an impactful experience with an organization at the center of North Carolina’s startup ecosystem. Interns will learn about startups and the organizations across North Carolina that support entrepreneurship.
This program is ideal for students with 1) a desire, following graduation, to become involved in a startup company or organization supporting startups in North Carolina or 2) skills or interest in one of the many areas that could be useful to NC IDEA or one of our startups.
Interested applicants can view the 2025 NC IDEA Summer Fellowship and Internship Webinar and access the presentation deck.
Applications for the Summer Undergraduate Internship role are now CLOSED. For any additional questions, please email programs@ncidea.org.
