Global Innovation Policy Intern

Are you drawn to the world of entrepreneurship and curious about the intricacies of policy? We are a DC-based nonprofit dedicated to helping entrepreneurs overcoming the barriers to building a global business. We work with a network of technology companies, incubators and organizations around the world to elevate the opportunity that exists for startups and small businesses to be global from day one and connect with policymakers who can enable their global journeys.

We place a lot of importance on ensuring our interns have a valuable experience and learn practical skills for their future careers. We’re always on the lookout for detail-oriented interns with an interest in learning about the real-world challenges globally-minded startups face and the policies that help or hinder them.

About the Global Innovation Forum

The Global Innovation Forum is a nonprofit startup that connects entrepreneur, small business, development, and university communities with policymakers and select corporations to explore the opportunities and challenges of engaging in the global marketplace. GIF serves as a hub for startup, university and development communities around the world to communicate with officials and corporations, discover public and private resources to help them succeed, and improve the public policy landscape to enable global innovation. GIF is a project of the 501(c)(3) National Foreign Trade Council Foundation. Learn more at www.globalinnovationforum.com.

What You Will Learn:

How corporations, universities, and governments are actively working to enable the growth of startups
Core policy challenges startups face when they engage in global markets
The project pitch process and drafting proposals
Project development and management

An ideal candidate will possess:

Excellent written and oral communication skills
A background in international trade, international business and/or experience with startups
An interest in trade policy and regulatory environment around technology
An interest in entrepreneurship and startup ecosystems
Comfort with social media, HTML, WordPress, MS Office Suite, and design software such as Adobe Creative Suite
Creativity, attention to detail, excellent organizational skills, and an ability to prioritize and execute multiple assignments at once

What You Will Do:

Assist senior staff with developing and implementing a communications strategy
Help manage our website and social media presence
Conduct research and assist senior staff drafting reports and op-eds on the global opportunities and challenges that innovators face and the role of public policy in their success
Summarize and report on activities for corporate partners and government officials
Identify and build relationships with globally-minded startups and nonprofits to engage in reporting and programming
Attend events to network and raise GIF’s profile in Washington, DC startup and policy communities
Develop and deliver your own projects from start to finish

Terms

A commitment of 10 weeks of 15-20 hours per week (during the fall or spring) or 20-30 hours (during the summer) at our downtown Washington, DC office.

How to apply

Email Claire Pillsbury at claire /at/ globalinnovationforum -dot- com with your resume; a one page cover letter explaining why you’re interested in joining GIF, what you will bring to the job and what you hope to learn; and a 2-4 page writing sample relevant to international trade, innovation or entrepreneurship.