Welcome to the 2024 MFF Emerging Talent Program – your gateway to Michigan’s thriving startup ecosystem!

Michigan’s startup and venture capital scene are booming, but we believe in making sure everyone has a chance to be part of this growth. Our program is here to support socially and economically marginalized (SEMI) postsecondary students in gaining exposure to entrepreneurship and professional experiences. The goals of this program are to: 

1. Elevate Student Potential:
   • Offer SEMI students in postsecondary college or training programs (certification & Bootcamp) a distinctive learning experience.
   • Enhance their professional competencies, expand their networks, and provide exposure to founders and Michigan’s rapidly expanding startup ecosystem.
2. Promote Diversity and Inclusion in Tech:
   • Facilitate opportunities for tech companies to fortify diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives.
   • Extend outreach to new talent across the state through collaborative roundtable workshops and personalized 1:1 sessions, designed in partnership with Thrive and Shine LLC.

Successful participants will have the opportunity to apply for a paid summer internship with an MFF Member start up, with most internships running from May to August.

Our Impact:

Since 2021, MFF has empowered 42 historically underrepresented college students with paid internships at Michigan startups. Over 200 students have participated in our engaging informational sessions and skill-building workshops. And guess what? In 2024, we’re raising the bar!

Explore Past Programs: Check out the highlights from the 2023 program, 2022 program, and 2021 program.

Want to get involved in the Program?

Thank you for your interest. If you’re a student, hiring organization, or a University & Community Leader please feel free to email us at [email protected].

Please Note: Our applications are currently closed, but we encourage you to check back in the fall.

Get ready to meet this year’s exceptional interns! These bright students from all corners of Michigan are eager to plunge into the state’s thriving startup ecosystem.

Our MFF interns have kicked off their summer at local startups, where they’ll enjoy skill-building workshops, cohort check-ins, networking events, and mentorship opportunities. Exciting times ahead!

Maheel Luqman
Acquisition Specialist
LiteRaise
University of Michigan – Dearborn

Manan Vyas
Product and Software Development Intern
Athlytic
Michigan State University

Zyniah Pritchett
Acquisition Specialist
LiteRaise
Oakland University

Yuktha Pulavarthi
Marketing, Communications, and Events Intern
Michigan Founders Fund
Michigan State University

Laxmi Shankar
Controls Engineering Intern
GEKOT Robotics Inc.
Wayne State University

Paixun Lin
Control Engineer
ThermoVerse
University of Michigan

Hank Greeves
System Engineer II
ThermoVerse
University of Michigan

Freshta Noori
Software Developer Intern
Nunchi, Inc
University of Michigan – Dearborn

Mehdi Zaidi
Embedded Engineer Intern
GEKOT Robotics Inc.
University of Michigan

Tommy Hailey
App Developer
The Lab Drawer
Michigan State University/ Apple Developer Academy

Saisindhu Valluri
Business Development Intern
CircNova
University of Michigan

Claudia Zacarias
Mechanical Intern
Intermode
University of Michigan

Viraj Shah
Backend Developer Intern
Total Reentry Solutions (TRS)
Michigan State University

Sahar Abedzadeh
Systems Engineer Trainee
GEKOT Robotics Inc.
Western Michigan University

Pranav Deshmukh
Product Engineering Intern
Livaq
Michigan State University

Ian Hajra
QA Intern
InfoReady
Brown University

MFF startups and tech companies are eager to hire local, diverse talent and are committed to making Michigan the most successful, inclusive, and community-driven startup ecosystem in the country. The following companies have hired MFF Interns this summer: