Inside the Internship: How HBS Spent the Summer

The Harbus interviews ECs about where they worked, what surprised them, and which lessons they’re bringing back to campus.

Raina Karia (Section A)

• Where did you work this summer? Hedgehog Foods, a tech-enabled gourmet mushroom farm start-up.

• Why did you choose this path? After working in large food CPG, I wanted to try something smaller and closer to the agriculture technology side.

• What was your experience like, and how does it impact your post-HBS goals? It was great! I wanted to test out how I liked working for a start-up on the operations side (having been in strategy my whole career). I ended up really liking it and can now confidently apply to similar roles knowing I can excel in a similar environment.

• What advice do you have for RCs considering similar opportunities? The startup space (and food space) can be daunting to navigate. It may feel like you’re getting nowhere with conversations that often end in saying the team isn’t looking to hire. Every conversation will help you learn something or lead you to discover an opportunity later down the line.

• Anything else to add? Although it was exciting, my job and role were not glamorous. Long days on a hot farm, solving one crisis after another, but I still enjoyed it. Perhaps a good reminder to not feel pressured to chase the more glamorous roles that are popular among HBS grads.

Eric Collins (Section B)

• Where did you work this summer? Saybrooke Environmental Management.

• Why did you choose this path? To explore ETA. 

• What was your experience like, and how does it impact your post-HBS goals? It is driving me to be more entrepreneurial.

• What advice do you have for RCs considering similar opportunities? Experiment and do something fun!

Aaron Finder (Section B)

• Where did you work this summer? Rock Summer Fellows + podcast project funded by the Harvard Study of Psychedelics in Society and Culture.

• Why did you choose this path? I was working on a startup idea with some cofounders in the psychedelic space, and we applied for the podcast funding because we thought we might not get Rock. The lesson is to look beyond HBS when trying to find resources for whatever you’re working on.

• What was your experience like, and how does it impact your post-HBS goals? It was an incredible summer! We were able to record a bunch of great interviews for the podcast and lay the groundwork for launch while having the room to pivot and test a whole new idea for Rock (we’re making smoothies and juices now).

• What advice do you have for RCs considering similar opportunities? Start early! If you have the slightest itch to found, there are so many resources at HBS to get you going in a structured way. Join Entrepreneurship Club, go to iLab events, talk to ECs who have done Startup Bootcamp and Rock Summer Fellows, talk to Rock advisors who have founded, go to Reza’s Founder’s Mindset Weekend Sprint! And when you’re ready, don’t be afraid to look outside of HBS for funding/resources.

• Anything else to add? The summer is the best opportunity for you to test a hypothesis (or multiple) on yourself risk-free. Don’t be afraid to “fail!”

Molly Hassell (Section B)

• Where did you work this summer? In-Q-Tel

• Why did you choose this path? Coming into HBS, I knew I wanted to keep an international dimension to my work. My background includes negotiating with Middle Eastern governments at SpaceX, serving as a special operations aviator, and working last summer in aerospace and defense investing at Marlinspike. In-Q-Tel offered a unique opportunity to blend those experiences and sit at the intersection of national security, investing, and frontier technology.

• What was your experience like, and how does it impact your post-HBS goals? As a not-for-profit venture capital firm investing on behalf of the intelligence community, In-Q-Tel inhabits a unique place in the national security ecosystem. The most striking part of the experience was seeing how government and technology meet: government walks in one door, tech walks in the other, and together they work to create state-of-the-art solutions for mission needs. Working with the international investing team was especially rewarding, giving me the chance to scan the global landscape for emerging technologies and think about how they could be adapted for U.S. national security. The experience reinforced my post-HBS goal of continuing to operate at the intersection of international engagement, technology, and defense.

• What advice do you have for RCs considering similar opportunities? Go beyond traditional or fixed processes and don’t just wait for things to come through on 12twenty! Reach out directly to people at the organization, to co-investors, and to portfolio companies. Ask for introductions or their reflections on working with the firm. And don’t be afraid to ask “stupid” questions (I know I did!). It’s the best way to learn a new trade, and people will respect your willingness to engage. Most importantly, recognize that opportunities like this take a ton of time, a ton of work, and a ton of luck, so don’t be hard on yourself if it takes a while for something to materialize.

• Anything else to add? The people made the experience at In-Q-Tel. Everyone was generous with their time, their insights, and their candor, which made the summer not just a professional opportunity, but a deeply rewarding personal one as well.

Filippo Colonna (Section C)

• Where did you work this summer? Fondo Italiano d’Investimento.

• Why did you choose this path? To explore small businesses in Italy (for a potential entrepreneurial path later on) through a local PE fund specialized in small family-owned businesses in Italy. 

• What was your experience like, and how does it impact your post-HBS goals? Very positive. I loved being close to home and enjoying the Italian summer. I met fantastic, low-profile entrepreneurs building companies for the “real” economy. It encouraged me to explore an entrepreneurial path through business ownership after HBS.

Maclaine Fields (Section D)

• Where did you work this summer? I worked on my women’s running apparel startup through Rock Summer Fellows.

• Why did you choose this path? I decided that now was the time to try building this business while I’m surrounded by so many other aspiring entrepreneurs and a wealth of HBS resources. I figured that it was never going to be easier to drop everything and work full-time on my idea.

• What was your experience like, and how does it impact your post-HBS goals? This summer was a crash course in the apparel industry for me. I spent a lot of time working with designers and pattern makers. I also got to talk with women runners and dove into the running community. I also got to do all this in LA, which was a lot of fun!

• What advice do you have for RCs considering similar opportunities? If you have an idea you want to work on, I encourage you to take time at HBS to explore it and tap into all of the resources. Having the time to work on my venture full-time during the summer was priceless. 

Jake Goodman (Section E)

• Where did you work this summer? Jolie Skin Co.

• Why did you choose this path? Wanted exposure to a lean startup in the e-commerce space.

• What was your experience like, and how does it impact your post-HBS goals? It has been a great experience to work at a small company. I learned that I really liked being on a leaner team with the scale to grow significantly. Being an intern is still a weird feeling, though, and is something I don’t need to do again.

• What advice do you have for RCs considering similar opportunities? Staying in Boston for the summer is great. It was much easier not to move and enjoy the benefits of the city without the craziness of the school year. The summer’s also what you make of it. It’s a great time to engage not just with your internship, but also with startup ideas you may have or other pursuits.

Sonal Tyagi (Section E)

• Where did you work this summer? Reydix, a seed-stage music tech startup in Greece.

• Why did you choose this path? Three reasons: 1) to try something wildly different from what I’ve done before and at a smaller firm; 2) to stay within creative industries (did a good bit in fashion, luxury, and beauty before, so it was great to work in music / live entertainment this summer); and 3) international work exposure in Athens.

• What was your experience like, and how does it impact your post-HBS goals? Incredible. I learned a ton about the intricacies of running a seed-stage startup and how being in music impacts how it’s run. I confirmed wanting to pursue creative industries in some shape or form full-time.

• What advice do you have for RCs considering similar opportunities? Choose the opportunity you wouldn’t otherwise have! RC and EC years are a low-risk time to try something new out.

Tamy Gomez-Ortigoza (Section F)

• Where did you work this summer? Grensol AG, a Swiss recycling startup. I spent my summer in Zurich, working directly with the founders as they went through their seed round and finalized the set-up of their first recycling plant.

• Why did you choose this path? I am a sponsored consultant who wants to eventually exit to a job in Europe related to sustainability and/or food. My goal for the summer was finding a role that would be a very different experience from what I have known through consulting and, at the same time, would get me a step closer to my future career goals.

• What was your experience like, and how does it impact your post-HBS goals? I had a phenomenal experience. I spent the summer working with the founder/CEO and his co-founder and CFO because the company is that small. Both are extremely experienced professionals with over 30 years of work experience, so I learned a lot about all aspects of building and running a startup, as well as just general business knowledge that really put to the test what I spent my RC year learning. It was also both challenging and empowering to work with minimal to no structure. I am so used to big teams with many levels of management and bureaucracy that being in a company where I could just do stuff because it seemed like a good idea was really fun.

• What advice do you have for RCs considering similar opportunities? Don’t be afraid to think outside the box when it comes to finding the right summer opportunity. If, like me, you want something very non-traditional and specific, you may need to build your own internship, so start connecting with people as early as you can and be persistent. After all, you just need a single yes. Don’t be afraid to try or go somewhere unexpected and be self-aware enough to know what you would be willing to compromise on and what is a definite no.

Michelle Ong (Section F)

• Where did you work this summer? I worked at Carevine, a startup creating a digital care management platform for parents with children who have special needs/developmental delays.

• Why did you choose this path? I wanted to learn about what it’s like to work in the startup space (a big transition from my background in big pharma), especially in a space where I can make a big social impact and on a topic I’m particularly passionate about. 

• What was your experience like, and how does it impact your post-HBS goals? My experience was amazing. I learned so much about the key decisions that need to be made in the beginning of a start-up’s life. I was working directly with the CEO (an HBS grad from the class of 2015), so I was able to learn a lot from someone who was 10 years out from the MBA. Because the company is so small, I got hands-on-experience with every aspect of the business, from making pitch decks to building the prototype and doing customer discovery interviews. We even made it into Blue Ridge Labs, an accelerator aimed to lift underserved populations in New York out of poverty, and received a second round of funding this summer from them. I’m still navigating what I want to do post-HBS but am definitely more open to the idea of entrepreneurship now that I’ve had a taste of it.

• What advice do you have for RCs considering similar opportunities? Go for it! The summer is the time to take risks and learn new things about yourself and what your interests are. It’s one of the few times where you will have that opportunity. 

Samantha Hallisey (Section G)

• Where did you work this summer? Auro Hotels.

• Why did you choose this path? I chose to spend my summer at Auro Hotels, a family-owned hospitality company based in Greenville, South Carolina, because I wanted hands-on exposure to hotel operations, real estate development, and acquisition strategy. I knew this experience would give me a unique vantage point into both the day-to-day of hotel management and the bigger-picture challenges of growth, acquisitions, and financing. Beyond the U.S. Southeast, Auro also happens to have two hotels and a big real estate development project underway in India, where I lived before HBS and where I’d one day love to open my own hotels. 

• What was your experience like, and how does it impact your post-HBS goals? This summer was incredibly rewarding. Working under the CFO and CEO (who is an HBS exec ed alumnus), I owned projects ranging from creating pro formas to spearheading AI initiatives, while also shadowing the design and construction teams. Beyond the technical learning, I built relationships across the organization and gained a clearer sense of what it takes to run a multi-generational hospitality business at scale. The experience reinforced my long-term goal of developing and owning hotels in India and gave me confidence that this industry has a very tangible impact on the development and quality of life in up-and-coming cities. 

• What advice do you have for RCs considering similar opportunities? Don’t be afraid to use the alumni directory and reach out to them for advice. I created my own internship after having a great conversation with an alumnus. If you are thoughtful about crafting your role and responsibilities, it can be an incredibly rewarding experience with a lot of autonomy. 

Karen Alpuche (Section H)

• Where did you work this summer? Evea.

• Why did you choose this path? I worked on building Evea, a venture with a section-mate, through Rock! I’ve always been drawn to entrepreneurship, but it felt a little too risky to fully commit before. This summer was the perfect low-risk chance to finally test it out, see if I loved the work, and build the confidence to decide whether I want to pursue it full-time.

• What was your experience like, and how does it impact your post-HBS goals? I absolutely loved it. Working with my co-founder, Lucia, made me fall in love with both the problem we’re tackling — helping women address PMS by combining wearable data with symptom logging and progress monitoring — and the process of building. It gave us a concrete way to shape our EC year (taking courses like Founders’ Mindset and Startup Operations), and we’re testing to see if this can be a full-time path post-HBS. With milestones like an App Store launch this semester and early traction, it feels like something that could meaningfully shape my career and long-term goals.

• What advice do you have for RCs considering similar opportunities? If you’re not 100% set on a path with a fixed recruiting timeline (PE, consulting, etc.), lean into the risky option. It’s never going to feel less risky than it does right now, and HBS gives you a built-in safety net for experimentation.

• Anything else to add? We’re testing our beta right now, and if you (or someone you know) has PMS and uses wearables, we’d love for you to join: http://www.eveacycle.com

Annie Pitkin (Section H)

• Where did you work this summer? Amazon.

• Why did you choose this path? Money, convenience and data center interest.

• What was your experience like, and how does it impact your post-HBS goals? The experience was great and a much needed break from HBS. Corporate America has a lot of great perks.

• What advice do you have for RCs considering similar opportunities? If you can wiggle into a good team with chill leaders, I would recommend an Amazon summer.

• Anything else to add? I got denied from Rock, turned down an offer from Amazon after emailing the CEO to get the job, accepted an internship for a nuclear reactor startup in Italy that fell through, had offers from four companies I met during FIELD to stay in Kenya… the list goes on, and the journey was CHAOTIC. I clawed my way back to Amazon (yes, I emailed the CEO again) and interviewed a second time while on FIELD. My two biggest summer fears came true: working in corporate America and living in Boston. And truthfully, it has been perfect. It’s been a summer full of exactly what I needed: rest, financial security and a perch to learn about AI from a market leader. Can’t wait to never be a 30-year-old intern again.

Brooke Robinson (Section H)

• Where did you work this summer? 8 Pillars Capital, a consumer PE firm.

• Why did you choose this path? I wanted to try investing.

• What was your experience like, and how does it impact your post-HBS goals? It made me realize I didn’t want to go into PE.

• What advice do you have for RCs considering similar opportunities? Don’t put pressure on yourself to do “the HBS thing”. Do what you’re genuinely driven by.

Edward Doan (Section I)

• Where did you work this summer? Anacapa Partners.

• Why did you choose this path? I chose this because I wanted to explore search fund investing. I knew I had an interest in search funds but had a background in operations. This internship enabled me to see the “other half” of running a successful search.

• What was your experience like, and how does it impact your post-HBS goals? Around every corner at HBS seems to be an opportunity to realize how much I don’t know about something. Anacapa has been one of the oldest search fund investors, so I was able to assess risks and opportunities from historical CIMs (confidential investment memorandum) and see how the deal played out across the next 5-7 years. In addition, I met with current searchers and CEOs and had a closer look at what a life post-HBS may look like.

• What advice do you have for RCs considering similar opportunities? Search appears risky, but from FIN, we know risk is really a measurement of uncertainty. If you’re considering ETA, reflect on which aspects of search leave you with the most questions and design a summer internship around that. An ETA summer is one of the most flexible summers you can have, so speak to ECs to have a better idea of the options in order to answer as many of the open questions as you can.

• Anything else to add? There’s a lot of opportunities at HBS, but I have found that, at a certain point, you need to find enough silence to hear your own voice. From there, plan towards the opportunities that are the most attractive to yourself.

Andrea Corleto (Section J)

• Where did you work this summer? My own startup, Lyv Health!

• Why did you choose this path? There was no question for me: I wanted to pursue entrepreneurship. I started exploring ideas during the school year, and this was my chance to go deep and see if we could build something that resonates (spoiler alert: we did!).

• What was your experience like, and how does it impact your post-HBS goals? Being part of the Rock Accelerator and working on my startup full-time was so energizing! It gave me a sense of what being a founder in a fast-paced environment is like, and the community was so supportive. There were highs and lows (and barely any time to do fun summer things), but it solidified my decision to pursue this full-time after HBS.

• What advice do you have for RCs considering similar opportunities? Just go for it. The risk of pursuing a business idea during the summer is so low, and the upside is so high. If you fail, you’ll only have wasted a few weeks (which you would have done working a boring corporate internship anyway). If you succeed, you will have found something you’re truly passionate about and can pursue.

Kelly Rooney (Section J)

• Where did you work this summer? I was a Rock Summer Fellow, building a business called Homemade with fellow RC, Pooja Singhi. Homemade is a platform that connects busy people with private chefs and home cooks who prepare fresh, healthy meals right in their clients’ kitchens.

• Why did you choose this path? Pooja and I both came to HBS with a dream of starting something of our own. When we met in the first semester of RC year, we realized we had similar backgrounds in social impact, we love good food, and we love working together, so we started building something together. We started Homemade because we want to live in a world where women don’t have to do it all. We both want long, busy careers; happy, healthy families; and connected, vibrant communities. Right now, that balance feels almost impossible. Homemade gives talented local cooks a way to earn on their own terms while helping busy families enjoy healthy, homemade meals without the stress of cooking. We believe Homemade can create a stronger community network; healthier families; dignified, flexible work for incredible local cooks; and less burnout for busy moms. 

• What was your experience like, and how does it impact your post-HBS goals? I had the most fun I’ve ever had working this summer. I realized entrepreneurship is 100% something I want to pursue now and in the long run. My post-HBS goal is to keep building with Pooja!

• What advice do you have for RCs considering similar opportunities? Be open to meeting new people, put yourself out there, do Startup Bootcamp, and give yourself grace and patience. Everything comes together!

Correction: A previous version of this piece misstated Aaron Finder’s section. He is a member of Section B, not Section I. This error remains in the print edition.

Michelle Yu (MBA '26) is originally from Cresskill, New Jersey. She graduated from Columbia University with a degree in Film and Media Studies and worked for CNBC, NBC News, and CNN prior to HBS, along with projects for HBO, Showtime, Oxygen, and Spectrum. Outside of work, she is a 2x marathon runner, American Songwriting Awards winner, and filmmaker whose work has screened at the Tribeca Film Festival and AMC's Empire Theaters in Times Square.