Nick Goode ’22 — First off, I would like to thank the Dill Fund for its generosity. As one can imagine, obtaining an internship this summer was no easy task. Companies and businesses were selective when making decisions. The Dill Small Business Fund (DSBF) funded my summer experience while learning valuable business lessons.
The company that I ended up interning for this summer was Leonard-McDowell. Leonard-McDowell is a small venture capital firm located in Zionsville, IN. This firm mainly focuses on investing in Indiana technology startups. The firm is operated by CEO Frank Leonard ’86. During this internship, I made numerous connections and have had some great experiences, such as presenting to the Indiana Secretary of State to discuss what Leonard-McDowell does while figuring out how they help Indiana businesses. I was also able to expand my network to more than just the Wabash Mafia, which I believe is not easy. However, the most interesting, and to be frank, the most meaningful experience I had during this internship was doing a sales pitch to a board member from Sharpen, a call center software company. Not only was I presenting to a board member of a company, but I was also presenting at the Silo Auto Club after I was able to tour all the fancy cars in his garage.
The most important part about this internship was discovering my strengths and weaknesses. I was able to get a lot of feedback on my strengths and weaknesses and what I can do better when presenting and speaking in a business setting. Moreover, I discovered my likes and dislikes about business and help narrow down what kind of position I would like to end up in after graduating from Wabash College in the upcoming spring. All in all, none of this would have been possible if it were not for the Dill Fund.
