Students work for one or two different companies in a given summer, working two days a week with each company. Each firm typically pays $2,500, and the CEF generally gives each student a grant of $5,000 so that remuneration is close to the market rate. Students participate together in CEF projects one day per week. The funds for CEF come primarily from the Entrepreneurship Club at UNC’s Kenan-Flagler Business School.
Company Participation
Companies are invited to join our kickoff in January 2009 and submit a brief summary of their organization and the project(s) with which they would like assistance from an MBA student. For selected firms, there will be two sub rounds of matching that pair companies with MBA students. During each round, students and companies will meet one another, and the CEF program will facilitate a partnership. The first round will be in January 2009 and the second in March 2009. Companies that do not wish to hire a student for the entire summer may submit proposals for projects that require less work (and thereby cost less).
Student Selection and Training
Students interested in participating in the CEF program will be involved in several activities with the Entrepreneurship Club during the fall semester, including reviewing business plans for NC IDEA, competing in the Venture Capital Investment Competition and receiving general entrepreneurial training. In December, students interested in CEF will apply, and 10-15 will be selected as finalists. In the spring, most will take a general course in entrepreneurship and another in business plan analysis. These activities serve as additional preparation for working with CEF in the summer.
