Chicago Ventures invests in early-stage enterprise and consumer software companies in non-coastal markets across the US and Canada. We believe innovation is unbounded by geography. Structural conditions like higher concentrations of talent and customers are accelerating the rise of non-coastal markets. Nonetheless, early-stage institutional capital remains heavily concentrated on the coasts. We fill the gap.
We are hiring a part-time MBA Intern to help us fulfill our mission of serving as the leading partner to founders building companies in non-coastal markets. This role will span a number of functional areas within the firm, including deal sourcing, portfolio support, and fund operations. We are looking for self-directed individuals who can both adapt and bring clarity to unstructured environments.
⏪ Background
Chicago Ventures launched in 2012 to fill an acute market gap. At the time, early-stage capital flowed as if innovation were restricted by geography. Venture dollars were raised and distributed all within a few select area codes.
We believed then, and know today, that enduring companies can be built anywhere, by anyone.
With over $163M under management, we’ve invested in 95 companies across healthcare, financial services, insurance, supply chain/logistics, manufacturing, education, and more. Our team is made up of former startup founders and operators, and we function much like the companies in which we invest. We are self-directed, hard-working, resourceful, ego-less, and personally invested in what we do.
CV’s portfolio includes high-growth companies like SpotHero, G2, project44, Sunbit, and Cameo. We lean on our operating backgrounds to take a hands-on, partnership-based approach to working with our portfolio companies, providing operational support in the form of business development, talent acquisition, follow-on investment partners, peer mentorship, and industry expertise.
✅ MBA Intern Responsibilities
The reality of venture is that most functional responsibilities are shared. We all source new investment opportunities. We all help our founders build great companies. We all update the CRM. Given the fluid nature of venture roles, our intern will support our team across all aspects of the fund.
Past interns have:
- Supported diligence as we evaluated new investment opportunities
- Conducted research to identify market trends and develop new investment theses
- Codified our tech-enabled sourcing practices
- Identified network expansion opportunities for our team
- Crafted brand-building content
- Supported internal fund operations
🎯 Qualifications
Venture capital is an apprenticeship business without an ideal prerequisite. We don’t expect candidates to have fully-formed skillsets perfectly suited for the role. Rather, we are looking for competencies that we believe correlate with success in these roles.
A few qualifications included in the cost of admission are:
- A demonstrated interest and respect for entrepreneurship
- Exceptional analytical, communication (written and verbal), and project management skills
- A high aptitude for building strong relationships and working autonomously
- A team-first mentality
- An inherent sense of accountability.
We expect candidates to be currently enrolled in an MBA program or matriculating in the next six months. The position will be paid and fully remote. Candidates do not need to be Chicago-based. The internship will be part-time during the summer, with the opportunity to continue into the school year.
📥 To Apply:
Send an email with the subject line “MBA Internship” to steven@chicagoventures.com with your resume, LinkedIn profile, and a written answer to the following question: If you had to put all your future earnings into one pre-Series A company, which would it be and why?
We look forward to hearing from you.
