Week 9: TechD Week

Last week was one of the most important weeks of my internship. The Wave kicked off their Tech Diversity Program with a week full of the events for their companies. This is a program that is sponsored by Nielsen. Coming into the first week of my internship, this was the talk of the office. The companies had just finished their orientation week in Tampa and had gone back to their respective places.

I was sad I missed it because I felt like that would have been a great introduction into the types of companies the Wave works with. In this week, I finally got that chance. I would say the benefit of attending towards the end of my internship was that I am more comfortable with networking. I had used tips from my supervisor and office manager to build my confidence and improve my pitch to go in to make those connections. I was able to meet and learn directly from the founders of these companies about what industry they are in, what they are hoping to get from the TechD program, and their goals for their company.

Of course, this was a hectic time for our accelerator team, so a sit-down interview seemed almost impossible. For me to still complete my assignments and speak with them, I made efforts to talk with the Accelerator Program Manager about her responsibilities and the cohorts either before the event during set up or afterward, in transition into the next event. Through our conversation, I got a better understanding of an accelerator versus an incubator. Heading into my last week with Tampa Bay Wave, I am still taking in every opportunity to learn, so I am excited to see what else I can take away from this experience.