In an effort to provide prospective employees or interns perspective of what working at Launch SA is like, we’re posting these accounts from previous interns in their original, unedited form. We hope that this not only provides depth to our work environment but also a different perspective of the support that we provide to the community at large!
My name is Jake Exler and I am a junior at Trinity University. I study Political Science and Economics, with a particular interest in public policy and economic development. I found Launch SA through Students + Startups and was immediately interested in the level of community involvement Launch SA has in the city and its presence as a go-to place for budding entrepreneurs needing assistance. Once I met Ryan on interview day for Students + Startups, I knew Launch SA was my first choice among the companies I interviewed with and was fortunate enough to work for Launch SA as an intern this summer.
My favorite part of working for Launch SA was getting to meet small business owners and work with them at San Antonio Entrepreneurship Week, helping them tell their stories of success and hardship through COVID-19. It was inspiring to hear their perseverance and be a part of making the event a success – I was worried about not being able to connect with the San Antonio small business community because of COVID-19 but found that I was still able to do so through events like this. As someone interested in a personalized and organic approach to economic development, meeting individuals was important to me in understanding San Antonio entrepreneurs.
I also dove into Launch SA’s data sources this summer, which was a challenging task, as it was my first time working with data in an evaluative way. Even though I was lost at times, Ryan and Daniela were always helpful with questions and concerns. I learned a lot about how data collection works and why it is important, especially seeing the connection between data and public funding, which relates to my interest in politics.
Overall, I had a great time working with Launch SA. Reflecting back on my experience, it is clear that Ryan and Daniela put me in projects that were both helpful to them, and that interested me and will help me in my future internships and jobs. I am grateful for their help and adaptability – they were great supervisors and formed good relationships with the interns, even remotely. Additionally, I was able to gain a new appreciation for small businesses in San Antonio and I have become more passionate about supporting small businesses wherever I go.
