What are you doing this summer, what made you decide to take this position?This summer I'm interning with a small Venture Capital Fund called DFJ Mercury in Houston, TX. DFJ invests in seed and early stage start-up company's in three sectors: Information Technology, bioscience and advanced materials. I decided to do this internship this past fall when an alumni set up a program in Houston for 6 internships in different kinds of small companies. The idea was to allow sophomores a chance to experience the business world before applying for the typical junior year internships. I thought this was a great opportunity so after I interviewed put DFJ Mercury as my preference because I didn't know much about Venture Capital but thought that it sounded really interesting and exciting!
I'm also taking an entrepreneurship class at Rice University that one of my co-workers is teaching. In this class we create our own start-ups. Throughout the class we will produce a business plan, an executive summery and we will also present elevator pitches and then longer pitches at the end of the class.
When did you arrive in Houston, how long will you be there this summer?
I flew down to Houston June 7th and I'm flying back August 21st. So I'll be in Houston for almost 3 months. The final presentations for my class are August 20th which is why I'm staying in Houston so long.
I flew down to Houston June 7th and I'm flying back August 21st. So I'll be in Houston for almost 3 months. The final presentations for my class are August 20th which is why I'm staying in Houston so long.
Where are you living?
I'm living at Kate Donnelly's house!! The Donnelly's have been AWESOME! I can't say enough good things about them! Mr. and Mrs. Donnelly, Frank and Laura (Kate's brother and sister) have all been so nice and have really made me feel like I'm at home in Houston.
I'm living at Kate Donnelly's house!! The Donnelly's have been AWESOME! I can't say enough good things about them! Mr. and Mrs. Donnelly, Frank and Laura (Kate's brother and sister) have all been so nice and have really made me feel like I'm at home in Houston.
What does your normal day look like?
Normally I'll Get to work between 8:30am and 9am. If it's a Monday I'll usually go to a deal meeting where everyone in the office meets and goes through all of possible and current investments. Then throughout the day I'll be given different start-up company's to research (usually in the IT sector). This involves reading business plans, executive summaries, PowerPoint presentations or just looking through their website. I'll do further research to find out about competitors and the market or anything else that needs to be looked into further. Then I'll right up small reviews on the company, which are basically listings of the pro's and cons interns of the company as a future investment. Throughout the day I'll also do small research tasks for the three managing directors at DFJ if they need some statistic or other information. Then if I'm lucky, I'll get to sit in on a meeting with some of these companies!
Normally I'll Get to work between 8:30am and 9am. If it's a Monday I'll usually go to a deal meeting where everyone in the office meets and goes through all of possible and current investments. Then throughout the day I'll be given different start-up company's to research (usually in the IT sector). This involves reading business plans, executive summaries, PowerPoint presentations or just looking through their website. I'll do further research to find out about competitors and the market or anything else that needs to be looked into further. Then I'll right up small reviews on the company, which are basically listings of the pro's and cons interns of the company as a future investment. Throughout the day I'll also do small research tasks for the three managing directors at DFJ if they need some statistic or other information. Then if I'm lucky, I'll get to sit in on a meeting with some of these companies!
What has been the best part of your job so far?
Because I'm researching IT companies that are submitted to DFJ, I get to see some really cool emerging technologies. A lot of them have applications to my life as well which makes it more interesting. The other great part of working at DFJ is that it is a small firm which means I get to work with the top guys! The person who is in charge of me is a W&L alum who founded DFJ and is one of the three managing directors.
What has been the most challenging part of your job so far?
One of the most challenging things for me is having the confidence to say my opinions and submit them to my boss. It's hard to evaluate these companies since I've had such little experience, but I've come to realize that just using common sense is a big part of it. Plus, every time I submit my evaluations, I get feedback and then can improve for the next time evaluation. This summer, I'm definitely learning to be more confident in talking to people, whether it's networking with alums or just sharing my opinions when I'm asked to at work.
Is there anything else that you would like to pass on to your teammates and/or other blog readers?
Houston is a great city! Although it's quite different from Philly, I've really enjoyed it. Also, the Donnelly's are the coolest family! They're so much fun to be with and are all so kind. I greatly appreciate their generosity. I've had such a great summer experience!
Because I'm researching IT companies that are submitted to DFJ, I get to see some really cool emerging technologies. A lot of them have applications to my life as well which makes it more interesting. The other great part of working at DFJ is that it is a small firm which means I get to work with the top guys! The person who is in charge of me is a W&L alum who founded DFJ and is one of the three managing directors.
What has been the most challenging part of your job so far?One of the most challenging things for me is having the confidence to say my opinions and submit them to my boss. It's hard to evaluate these companies since I've had such little experience, but I've come to realize that just using common sense is a big part of it. Plus, every time I submit my evaluations, I get feedback and then can improve for the next time evaluation. This summer, I'm definitely learning to be more confident in talking to people, whether it's networking with alums or just sharing my opinions when I'm asked to at work.
Is there anything else that you would like to pass on to your teammates and/or other blog readers?
Houston is a great city! Although it's quite different from Philly, I've really enjoyed it. Also, the Donnelly's are the coolest family! They're so much fun to be with and are all so kind. I greatly appreciate their generosity. I've had such a great summer experience!
