Mueller Entrepreneur Internships
The Center for Innovation invites UND undergraduate and
graduate
students
interested in starting a venture or launching a new product
to
consider the
Mueller Entrepreneur Internship program. The opportunity
to work on
your
own venture in an entrepreneur environment of the Tech Incubator
is
made
possible through the generosity of Kurt Mueller '62, Past-President
of the
Kauffman Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership in Kansas
City,
Missouri. Since 1997, Mueller has made significant gifts
to the Center for
Innovation
for a student internship program to encourage and foster
student ventures,
and learn entrepreneur skills by working in an entrepreneur
environment.
Sixty-six (66) students have taken advantage of the internship
opportunity
since 1997.
Interested student entrepreneurs should contact Bruce Gjovig,
Director of
the Center for Innovation at Bruce@Innovators.net. A one-two
page
work
plan outlined what will be accomplished during the internship
should
be
provided (prototype developed, market tested, develop business
plan
and
financial projections, etc.). Students are expected to complete
a
business plan or develop a viable business model for a for-profit
venture
during their internship. Types of entrepreneur development
projects
eligible to be completed during a semester include: prototypes,
test
marketing, market plan, business plan, accessing capital,
cash flow
management, and/or exploring strategic alliances or partnerships.
Students
may apply as an individual or a team for up to $1,500 per
semester
per
student. The Center for Innovation provides office space
(value of
$1750/semester). With access to staff expertise and consulting
the
total
value is over $6,000. Bi-weekly reports of progress are a
condition
of
accepting the entrepreneur internships (i.e. accountability,
progress, bias
for action). Preference may be given to entrepreneur majors
and track
students, but all UND students are eligible.
Kurt Mueller is a native of Grand Rapids, Minnesota. In
1962, he
received
his degree in accounting from UND. After graduation, he launched
his
accounting career with Arthur Young. He started his own consulting
firm,
Financial and Credit Consultants in 1976. In 1981, Mueller
went to
work for
Ernst & Young LLP in Kansas City becoming a partner in
the firm in
1984 and
the National Director for Entrepreneur Services building
the
entrepreneurial services practice for the firm. After early
retirement in
1996, he became Chairman and President of the Center for
Entrepreneurial
Leadership at the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation of Kansas
City,
MO. The
Kauffman Foundation is the largest foundation supporting
entrepreneurship,
providing millions in support for innovative entrepreneur
initiatives
nationwide at all levels from students to high-growth entrepreneurs.
Mueller served, as a trustee on the UND Center for Innovation
Foundation
from 1997 to 2003 has been a member of the advisory board
member of
the
Center. Mueller received an Honorary Degree from UND in 2004.
He now
serves as director of three early-stage growth companies
in the
Kansas City
area.
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