Intern Plus

Intern Plus connects college students to local start-ups and small businesses at Innovation DuPage for paid professional positions during the academic year.

Gallery
Application Due Date
September 27, 2024
Start Date
October 28, 2024
End Date
May 26, 2025
Gallery
Application Due Date
September 27, 2024
Start Date
October 28, 2024
End Date
May 26, 2025

InternPlus connects college students to local start-ups and small businesses for paid, professional positions during the 2024-2025 academic year. InternPlus students work up to 15 hours a week for $14 per hour. Students will also receive hands-on entrepreneurial education through working side-by-side with entrepreneurs on their company’s immediate needs. Additionally, the cohort of accepted students will take part in a series of career readiness workshops to prepare for future employment opportunities.

The InternPlus program seeks to minimize the barrier to entry for students from communities that are traditionally underrepresented in internship programs, by encouraging applications from college students who identify as one or more of the following: BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color), Female, Nonbinary (preferred umbrella term for all genders other than female or male).

Workshop Topics

  • Myers Briggs Personality & Strong Interest Inventory Assessments
  • Best Practices: What hiring managers look for when interviewing candidates
  • LinkedIn & Elevator Pitch
  • Job Search Skills & Resume Building
  • Interview Skills + Mock Interview Activity
  • Entrepreneur Panel Discussion

    * Workshop topics and schedule subject to change*

Equal Employment Opportunities

All emloyers provide equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibit discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.

Commitment

  • Must be willing to work 15 hours per week
  • Willing to commit to the full program from October 2024 through May 2025
  • Attend all Career Readiness Workshops

Eligibility

  • Seeking an internship in graphic design, marketing, social media, web development and sales.
  • Reliable transportation to and from work is required  (internships to be held at Innovation DuPage and/or businesses located in DuPage County.)
  • Must be a college student that graduated from high school no more than 5 years ago.
  • Must be a current college student enrolled in courses in the fall 2024 & spring 2025 terms.
  • Must be in good academic standing with the College.
  • All college students are welcome to apply. Women and students of color are highly encouraged to apply!

Schedule

Internships will begin mid October and will run through May of 2025 with breaks for Thanksgiving (11/ 27 - 11/29) and winter holidays (12/23- 1/1). Interns will work up to 15 hours per week. Each hired intern’s exact weekly schedule will be determined in concert with their employer. Career Readiness Workshops will take place approximately every third Thursday from 3:30-4:30 pm. Workshops are expected to be held in-person at Innovation DuPage (535 Duane Street, Glen Ellyn 60137).

Important Dates & Deadlines
  • Applications are due by 11:59 pm on September 27th
  • Applicants will be notified by October 11th if they have progressed to the next round.  Interviews with participating employers will be scheduled at this point.
  • Interviews with startup employers will take place between October 14th - October 25th: (there may be multiple interviews)
  • Applicants will be notified of their acceptance status by October 25th
  • The program begins October 28th and will run through May 2025

InternPlus connects college students to local start-ups and small businesses for paid, professional positions during the 2024-2025 academic year. InternPlus students work up to 15 hours a week for $14 per hour. Students will also receive hands-on entrepreneurial education through working side-by-side with entrepreneurs on their company’s immediate needs. Additionally, the cohort of accepted students will take part in a series of career readiness workshops to prepare for future employment opportunities.

The InternPlus program seeks to minimize the barrier to entry for students from communities that are traditionally underrepresented in internship programs, by encouraging applications from college students who identify as one or more of the following: BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color), Female, Nonbinary (preferred umbrella term for all genders other than female or male).

Workshop Topics

  • Myers Briggs Personality & Strong Interest Inventory Assessments
  • Best Practices: What hiring managers look for when interviewing candidates
  • LinkedIn & Elevator Pitch
  • Job Search Skills & Resume Building
  • Interview Skills + Mock Interview Activity
  • Entrepreneur Panel Discussion

    * Workshop topics and schedule subject to change*

Equal Employment Opportunities

All emloyers provide equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibit discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.

Commitment

  • Must be willing to work 15 hours per week
  • Willing to commit to the full program from October 2024 through May 2025
  • Attend all Career Readiness Workshops

Eligibility

  • Seeking an internship in graphic design, marketing, social media, web development and sales.
  • Reliable transportation to and from work is required  (internships to be held at Innovation DuPage and/or businesses located in DuPage County.)
  • Must be a college student that graduated from high school no more than 5 years ago.
  • Must be a current college student enrolled in courses in the fall 2024 & spring 2025 terms.
  • Must be in good academic standing with the College.
  • All college students are welcome to apply. Women and students of color are highly encouraged to apply!

Schedule

Internships will begin mid October and will run through May of 2025 with breaks for Thanksgiving (11/ 27 - 11/29) and winter holidays (12/23- 1/1). Interns will work up to 15 hours per week. Each hired intern’s exact weekly schedule will be determined in concert with their employer. Career Readiness Workshops will take place approximately every third Thursday from 3:30-4:30 pm. Workshops are expected to be held in-person at Innovation DuPage (535 Duane Street, Glen Ellyn 60137).

Important Dates & Deadlines
  • Applications are due by 11:59 pm on September 27th
  • Applicants will be notified by October 11th if they have progressed to the next round.  Interviews with participating employers will be scheduled at this point.
  • Interviews with startup employers will take place between October 14th - October 25th: (there may be multiple interviews)
  • Applicants will be notified of their acceptance status by October 25th
  • The program begins October 28th and will run through May 2025

More information coming soon...

Sponsors

Partners

Founding Partners
Academic Partners
Investment Partners
Program Sponsors

Program Graduates

Testimonials

Melvin Henley
PAC Leaders

"The Construction Owner to CEO program was really phenomenal. It allowed me to do exactly what the title suggests: go from being an owner to a CEO! I highly endorse this program, so much so we had our Vice President come in the next season and benefit from it as well!"

Eduardo Salgado
CS Architectural Woodworking

"As a graduate of the Construction Owner-2-CEO program, I can tell you first hand, that Innovation DuPage has helped me scale my business. If you are a small business owner looking to take your business to the next level, enhancing your network, or searching for peer group of likeminded entrepreneurs, Innovation DuPage is the place for you."

Jackie Gomez
HACIA

"It's a really unique opportunity to create and curate a program designed to help business owners succeed and build their business in a very competitive environment. We are excited to partner with Innovation DuPage to create a more diverse and inclusive construction industry."

Yvonne Toney
The Cotton Seed Exchange

“Working with Innovation DuPage for the Owner to CEO program was amazing and the support and education received has really helped me to push my business a little further with new ideas, concepts and understanding the power of collaboration.”

Dr. Afua Aning
My Just Checking In

“ The Innovation DuPage Owner-2-CEO program has provided a pillar of support for our company as we grow into the future. By having a network of experienced professional networks to grow with and learn from, we can replicate a type of support generally restricted to those above the glass ceiling.”

Melissa Villanueva
Brewpoint Coffee

"ID has been an amazing educational and community resource for entrepreneurs. I enjoyed the Owner-2-CEO program and, to this day, still keep in contact with my cohort. ID doesn’t hesitate to connect and highlight business owners for opportunities.”

Brent Hasse
Flat LLC

"ID was hands-on in helping me properly position our product and get in front of the best partners for our company. Their support was instrumental is getting us accepted to the Techstars program, which has already started to shape our Flat and greatly improve our customer success."

Shian Jno-Lewis
The Tidy Queens

“Thank you to Innovation DuPage for creating a space that promotes collaboration among local businesses. The Owner to CEO program equips small business owners with the tools needed to work “on” instead of “in” their businesses. It was a total eye-opener and very beneficial in helping us take our business to greater heights.”

Nick L.
Wove

"As an autistic adult facing challenges in corporate and academic settings, entrepreneurism is vital for my self-sustainability. The capital and mentorship provided by the Neurodiverse Entrepreneur Program was critical to getting my startup off the ground. My company has become profitable just after a year."

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Miftha Syed
InstaPark Elmhurst University Student

"Participating in the Innovation DuPage BIG Idea Pitch Contest was an incredible journey filled with inspiration and growth. I cherished every moment of the experience. It provided me with the perfect platform to launch Instapark. This contest truly ignited my entrepreneurial spirit and reaffirmed my belief in the power of entrepreneurship."

Aaliya Khaja
InstaPark Elmhurst University Student

“The Big Idea Pitch Competition was definitely a remarkable experience for us! Being able to pitch our business idea to many entrepreneurs was exciting and we are excited to work on InstaPark to move forward and develop it into the app we've dreamed about. “

Joe Barron
Gray Matters Games

"As the first member company of Innovation DuPage, we’ve grown up together. I love being able to bounce different ideas off of other entrepreneurs, it saves all of us time, it saves us money, and takes our business to the next level."

Maureen Longoria & Lisa Burns
LivNow Relocation

"Innovation DuPage has brought us resources beyond belief. They’ve made connections with us that we could have never made on our own. What they have brought to LivNow Relocation is absolutely priceless."

Keith Wakeman
SuperBetter

“Kassidy (Our Intern) provided value to the SuperBetter company from day one. She provided valuable feedback on product design, created newsletters to update our SuperBetter community, and rolled up her sleeves to help get it done.”

Workshops

ID Sponsored

Makers and Shakers: Rewriting our Narrative

Oct 17
6:00 pm
Elmhurst, IL
Public

Buyers Persona Workshop

Oct 23
5:00 pm
Glen Ellyn, IL
ID Partner

NaperLaunch Academy: Growing a Business

Oct 30
6:30 pm
Naperville, IL
Public

The Midwest Innovation and Entrepreneurship Summit

Nov 13
9:00 am
Glen Ellyn, IL

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