Entrepreneurial Summer Internship Program

Test your fit with entrepreneurship through an internship at an early-stage company. The Entrepreneurial Summer Internship Program provides a real-world opportunity to experience the pace and excitement of a very early-stage environment.

Each year, around 10 percent of the MBA class will participate in ESIP, taking on summer internships in companies that have between 5 and 50 full-time employees. Students finish ESIP with greater clarity about their fit and interest in an entrepreneurial career.

Approximately half of ESIP internships take place in the San Francisco Bay Area, but you can do an ESIP internship at an eligible startup in any location, and previous students have interned with early-stage companies located everywhere from Euless, Texas, to Bogota, Beijing, London, and Singapore.

ESIP sources and pre-approves internship opportunities across a variety of industries and roles, or you can “BYOS” (bring your own startup) by identifying an eligible company that matches your interests and offers a challenging role.

Student Spotlights

Christopher West, MBA 2025

Christopher West worked as Chief of Staff at APA Medical Equipment, a durable medical equipment distributor that was recently acquired by two search fund entrepreneurs. "My work was quite varied, including leading development of a comprehensive M&A strategy, go-to-market plans for a new product category, and operational improvements. I had an up-close view of what it is like to assume leadership within and grow a smaller company."

Shubby Aluko, MBA 2018

Shubby Aluko spent his summer helping Loci Controls, a landfill gas collection company based in San Francisco, with business development and strategy. Shubby has this advice for ESP students: “Understand beforehand what you want from the summer, because it is easy to lose perspective in the exciting and quickly changing environment of a startup.”

Mira Bodek, MBA 2025

Mira Bodek interned at Arcade, the world's first AI product creation platform, where everything that can be dreamed of can be made. Arcade’s mission is to create magical experiences for people everywhere, using unparalleled design-to-manufacturing AI technologies. "What was most rewarding was the ownership and autonomy entrusted to me by the Arcade team, especially the CEO and founder, Mariam Naficy (GSB ‘98). I was treated as a thought partner and valued contributor by the team from day one."