BioBiz interns assist Park startups
Virginia Commonwealth University’s School of Business and the Virginia Biosciences Development Center collaborated with the Kauffman Foundation and Virginia’s Center for Innovative Technology (CIT) to pilot an innovative business internship program in the life sciences during the Fall 2002 semester.
VBDC staff members Petric Capers (left) and Nicky Colomb (right), a former intern in the BioBiz program, assist Park startups.
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Nine graduate-level business students worked 20 hours per week performing a specific-business oriented project for their host company. The pilot project was very successful, and each host company gained valuable business assistance from their intern. Two interns were subsequently hired by their hosts.
Thanks to the funding provided by Kauffman ($50,000) and
CIT ($9,000), host companies funded less than 25 percent of
the actual stipend funded to their student interns.
The BioBiz program complements the Park’s successful relationship with VCU’s Fast-Track Executive M.B.A. program. The Fast-Track students are assigned to work on a strategic issue for an incubator tenant or a concept company affiliated with the VBDC.
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