This past summer, 20 Jiang Fellows embarked on domestic and international internships to gain experience at startup companies ranging from record labels of the future to software companies simulating human behavior. The students are now back in Ithaca, NY, to share their experiences, tips, and favorite memories from their respective startup internships.
The Jiang Fellows program, rooted in Cornell Engineering, is open to all juniors at Cornell University who have a strong interest in entrepreneurship. The program allows students to travel and experience working at a startup in the summer between their junior and senior year, fully funded through the support of Dr. Tianyi (TJ) Jiang ’96.
The students networked with startups of interest in the fall of 2024 and finalized their internships in March. The cohort then enrolled in a 1-credit immersive course and a 3-credit co-requisite course in entrepreneurship to explore fundamental topics in entrepreneurship and help them prepare for a summer internship at a startup. In June, they began their internships, ready to acquire valuable skills, expand their networks, and explore their potential futures in entrepreneurship.
We spoke with three Jiang Fellows about their experiences:
Ronald Leung ‘26, computer science major at Cornell Engineering, interned at Rilla, a virtual ridealong software for outside sales and service.
Summer Seward ‘26, a government and music double major at the College of Arts and Sciences, interned at SNAFU Records, a company that provides growth capital to artists, labels, and distributors.
Marcos Karakousis ‘26, an information science major in the College of Arts and Sciences, interned at Espistemix, a company that helps organizations forecast outcomes and manage risks by simulating how people behave.
What city was your internship located in and what was the coolest thing you experienced there?
Ronald: I worked in New York City. There was a lot to explore in and around Long Island City, the neighborhood where my office was located. The area is really dog-friendly and has some great green spaces near the East River.
Summer: I did a two-part internship where I stayed in both Sweden and London. In both places, I was able to do so many exciting things. Because I was working at a music startup, we got to attend incredible music industry events including one at Soho House where Central Cee was present. London definitely felt more like New York City, with something always happening, while Stockholm had a calmness I’d never experienced growing up as a city girl.
Marcos: I was in Salt Lake City, and I would say the coolest thing I experienced there was going rock climbing with my colleague after work one day. It was one of my first time climbing outside, and it was an incredible experience in the mountains.
How did the Jiang Fellows program help you prepare for your internship?
Ronald: The program did a lot to increase my independence during the internship recruitment cycle. I felt much more in control of the process because I was encouraged to explore different industries that interested me and connect directly with founders, rather than just mass applying to internship listings with my resume.
Summer: The program prepared me in ways I didn’t expect. At first, I thought some of the practices, like being active on Slack or the consistent push to find the right opportunity, wouldn’t apply to me since I was working at a music startup. But those skills were exactly what I needed. From day one, I was ready to be active on Slack, I was used to the hustle of startup life with many hats to wear, and I felt comfortable working alongside accomplished people.
Marcos: The program helped me prepare for my internship by introducing to me how many startups operate. Specifically, I think learning about what the goal of a startup is was super informative and helped me do my best work that aligned with the goals of the company.
Favorite part of the office?
Ronald: My favorite part of the office must have been the views of the city skyline. On our floor we had a sweeping panoramic view of midtown Manhattan, which looked really incredible during sunset.
Summer: My favorite part of the office, outside of the free breakfast, was how close my team in Stockholm was. We always took our breaks together, and they often used that time to show me around the city. I was so grateful to have such an amazing and welcoming team.
Marcos: I would say speaking with different people and learning more about my co-workers outside of work life.
Favorite day or weekend trip?
Ronald: Our company offsite in Cape Cod was definitely a highlight! I spent a lot of time biking around and had a great time fishing, sitting by the campfire, and connecting with my coworkers.
Summer: My favorite day was Midsommar. My office held a celebration, and it truly was the most fun day I had in Sweden. We swam in the most beautiful lake I’ve ever seen, wore flower crowns, ate traditional food, and laughed all day. It honestly felt magical.
Marcos: One weekend I drove from SLC to Denver to visit my friend out in Denver. It was about an 8 hours drive each way and it was an incredibly scenic road. I was able to stop at a lot of cool lookout places, and enjoy a part of the country I’d never been to.
Favorite office memory?
Ronald: My favorite office memory was our cultural onboarding, when the new hires and I spent the entire day learning about the company’s history and future vision directly from our CEO. It was definitely long, but the fact that our CEO used to be a stand-up comic made it an incredibly inspiring and entertaining masterclass on building startups.
Summer: My favorite office memory was making TikToks with my coworkers that went viral. We’d run all around the office creating ridiculous videos that ended up performing really well.
Marcos: Some of my favorite memories were when we weren’t working on our computers but rather having big-picture strategic discussions about the company. Hearing in on the executives at the startup discuss overall company strategy was so valuable and something I don’t think many people experience as interns at large companies.
Best piece of advice for future Jiang Fellows?
Ronald: I’d recommend continuously seeking feedback throughout your internship. Whether from your mentors or from someone else you’re working with, getting that input and acting on it is the best way you can improve and increase your slope of learning.
Summer: Turn on Slack notifications and choose an internship where you feel you’ll fit into the work culture. My team was young and fresh, and that made my experience so much better.
Marcos: I would recommend setting goals early in your summer, and trying to meet as many people at the startup that you can. Even just taking 15 minutes to talk with someone you don’t typically work with can be super valuable, and the summer goes by so fast that it’s important to set some goals and ideas of what you want to achieve.
What was one item you could not live without at your internship and why?
Ronald: The noise cancelling headphones I got for the duration of my internship were a huge help. The sales and customer success teams across the office had a ton of energy – always taking calls and blasting music – so it helped that I could block out noise to stay focused.
Summer: My AirPods. I was doing a lot of design and video work, and since I was also living in big cities, I took the train every day in both London and Stockholm. My AirPods came in handy every single day.
Marcos: My notebook. At school I usually write everything down on my computer but I found myself using pen and paper a lot more over the summer, especially for diagramming or sketching creative ideas.
Tell us about a time when a problem arose at your internship and how you were able to solve it!
Ronald: A challenge I had was that the new pages I had introduced had frustrated some customers who were used to the original workflow they had on the old version. Prioritizing getting feedback from users, determining the course of action, and building out changes all in rapid succession helped me iterate and improve much faster.
Marcos: There were times where some of our marketing materials weren’t landing clearly with some audiences. I collaborated with a lot of people at the company to make sure our messaging was solid.
What is your proudest accomplishment from your internship?
Ronald: I’m most proud of the project I developed and rolled out to all managers on the platform. The experience definitely improved my engineering skills, and I’m confident the project is scalable and maintainable for future developers.
Summer: My proudest accomplishment was when the company at large began delegating important tasks to me. I felt like a true member of the team and like I was making a real impact.
Marcos: Building super strong relationships with a lot of the people at the company. I made sure to make a great impression and go above and beyond so that I could be super valuable to the startup.
How did your internship impact your career trajectory?
Ronald: My internship has definitely made a big impact on my future career. I feel even more confident now that I want to work at a startup or start my own company, and I think this summer was a great catalyst for that.
Summer: I am now applying to pursue my master’s degree in Global Entertainment and Music Business, so I can continue building a career in the music industry. My mentors at the company have encouraged me to follow their path, and that guidance has helped me define my next steps.
Marcos: The internship reinforced the idea to me that I’d like to do work related to entrepreneurship. I think it also taught me that I have a lot to learn before I go and work at a startup myself or build something myself. The internship definitely helped me solidify what I want to do in the future.
Interested in learning more about the Jiang Fellows program? Students can register for the upcoming information session on Wednesday, October 8, from 4-5 pm ET. Or visit the Jiang Fellows website for more information and to apply!
