In my final Summer as a Wabash student, before my senior year kicks off, I travelled back home to intern for an impact investment fund in Cape Town, South Africa. Thanks to the generosity of the Stephenson Institute and their highly supportive student funding, I was lucky enough to be able to fund an unpaid opportunity that has provided me with immense direction, new skillsets, and unique experiences. Untapped Global is a San-Francisco based impact investment firm that focuses on emerging markets and the growing African tech-ecosystem. Untapped embraces an impact-driven revenue sharing model as opposed to taking equity and follows a non-predatory approach to investing in early-stage productive assets across multiple startup sectors. For example, the Untapped portfolio frequently supports electric mobility startups as many African economies are trying to become climate resilient and lower their carbon emissions while young African entrepreneurs are developing the next wave of battery-powered transportation and logistics companies across the continent. In my role as an intern, I was able to get my hands on multiple projects within the business. I worked with the capital team as they attempt to raise funding and debt to invest, the marketing team as I wrote a series of investment blogs for their outreach strategy, and the deals team as I screened potential investment opportunities and crafted reports and memos for the investment committee. Overall, the Stephenson funding allowed me to work with the Untapped team to create a flexible internship experience where I could learn multiple new skills and experience various sides to a fast-growing startup. From travelling to meet exciting founders to networking with the Untapped CEO, I had an experience that any intern would be grateful to have. Not only did I benefit from the new skills learnt and the wide range of experiences I had, but I was put in positions where I could bring value to the team and make a tangible impact on my home country as Untapped continues to invest into promising South African tech talent.
I am grateful to the Stephenson Institute, as well my Wabash support network, for helping me turn this dream experience into a tangible reality. From funding to mentorship, my time at Wabash has enabled unique career-guiding internships and professional experiences that will shape how I begin to build the beginning of my career as I start my senior year. I am grateful to the Untapped team for their dedication to onboarding and establishing an internship position that allowed me to learn while simultaneously contributing to the growth of the company. I am pleased to have finished my final Summer break with an experience that was as personal as it was professional, as I was able to support local entrepreneurs while honing skills and creating a network for my future career.
