PledgeLA, in collaboration with HBCUvc, is thrilled to announce the third year of LA’s’ first-ever citywide Summer Venture Capital Internship, to be conducted remotely in 2021.
Founded in 2019, the program provides promising students from backgrounds not well-represented in VC with tailored training and a 10-week paid summer experiential learning internship at one of the top VC firms in Los Angeles.
Our Host Firms
Here are the LA-based firms that hosted interns in 2019 and 2020:
Requirements for Applicants
No prior experience in venture capital is required. Applicants should have completed at least one year of college/community college before applying.
This internship is intended for:
As part of our mission to increase diversity, equity, and inclusion, we are intentional in our outreach to candidates who self-identify as a person of color, women, LGBTQIA, first-gen college students, persons with disabilities, and/or other underrepresented minorities.
What to Expect
Alumni Highlights
Check out some of our incredible program alumni and what they’re up to now:
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about the VC Internship experience:
Yes – interns are paid either an undergraduate-level stipend of $8,000 or a graduate-level stipend of $10,000 by their firms for the 10-week internship. To qualify for a graduate-level stipend, interns should be enrolled in/have already completed a graduate program at the time of their application.
At this time, we are planning for a 100% remote internship for summer 2021. Interns will be expected to work business hours in the Pacific Time Zone.
This internship program is open to applicants who have completed at least one year of college (at a community college or university), current undergraduate and graduate students, and recent graduates of all levels up to five years after their graduation date. While some firms seek graduate-level interns only, the majority are open to undergraduate candidates.
No. While interest in venture capital, startups, and supporting entrepreneurs is part of what we seek in candidates, no prior experience at a VC firm is required.
It varies! Typically, interns check in on a daily basis with their supervisor, complete independent projects, join internal (and sometimes external) firm meetings, and more. It all depends on the lifecycle of your firm and its investment activity. We work with host firms to give interns rigorous work that puts them at the center of the action.
Probably not. Unlike large internship programs at investment banks or consulting firms that hire cohorts of interns each fall, our internships are typically at firms that may not hire for open roles every year. But interns have definitely leveraged this opportunity to advance their careers – securing roles at portfolio companies, accelerators, other VC roles, and more. Check out our alumni highlights above to get a sense of this.
Make sure to review our Intern Guide before starting your application.
Applications close at 11:59 p.m. PT on Friday, March 19.
Interested in hosting an amazing intern this summer? Fill out this brief host firm interest form by Friday, February 19 to start the process:
2021 Program Timeline
Applications Open
Applications Close
Video Interviews
Firm Interviews
Interns Selected
Internship Begins
Internship Ends
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