PLACEMENT AND DURATION

The primary mission of the full-time 10-12 week internship is to provide support to Lewis & Clark AgriFood’s Managing Director, Principals and Associates in their ability to identify, research, and analyze the highest-potential prospective investments for the funds.  This role also assists in diligence and general research, includes modeling, market and competitive research, as well as creating valuation scenarios.  The Summer Associate will be active in all aspects of the funds, working closely with all members of the team as well as portfolio companies.  This position reports to one of our Principals.

TRAINING

We are a small group and you will have an opportunity to sit side by side with each of our team members. You will be assigned a mentor who will serve as a support resource and provide consistent feedback over the course of the summer to ensure you remain on the right track. We are committed to your internship experience and do our best to expose and tailor to any areas of interest.  It is our intention to provide valuable, real-life work experience that will inevitably prepare you for future career opportunities.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Play a key role in contributing to our deal evaluation process including competitive analysis, financial analysis, pro forma modeling, capitalization table modeling, market sizing and various other investment related items pertaining to our AgriFood funds. You will have a particular focus on the animal health, supply chain, and/or food and feed ingredients subverticals.
• Lead a capstone presentation to the Investment team around a specific topic of interest in the AgriFood sector.
• Identify, maintain, and prioritize a large and dynamic dataset of investment opportunities in our scope of geography and industry.
• Gather and analyze information from reliable public and private sources to inform our decision-making process.
• Structure complex problems and deliver objective insights to the Investment Team.
• Rapidly develop a clear understanding of industries and technologies related to our deal pipeline, specifically animal health, supply chain, and/or food, and feed ingredients.
• Understand and stay current on relevant venture capital, private equity, and AgriFood sector trends.
• Contribute to fund marketing efforts which are directed to both our external community and to our Limited Partners.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Pursuing an MBA with a science-related degree.
• Proven and engaged leader in academics, volunteer work or extra-curricular activities.
• Interest/background in supply chain, animal health or food and feed ingredients.
• Excellent financial modeling and presentation skills.
• Excellent analytical, problem-solving, and critical thinking skills and impeccable business judgment.
• Strong project and task management skills.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.

*Competitive salary based on experience. Intern benefits apply.

Get to know our Recent Interns

KATIE PLAXE

Summer 2022 Intern

• As someone new to both venture capital and food & ag, I cannot think of a better experience to introduce me to both spaces.
• It was great to support the team in a variety of functions from listening to pitches, helping with investment memos and portfolio management, and thinking through our capital deployment strategy to doing my own deep dive in an area of my choosing. In a very short amount of time, I was exposed and able to contribute to much of the work necessary to manage a fund.
• On top of that, the team is incredibly supportive and knowledgeable! I was included in strategic conversations and encouraged to voice my opinion. In addition, they were happy to answer any and all questions.

JACKIE LI

Summer 2021 Intern

• I had a great experience during my summer with Lewis & Clark AgriFood and learned so much about the food and agriculture industry.
• There was an incredible amount of deal activity going on and in just one summer, I helped diligence several companies and put together corresponding investment memos. The Lewis & Clark team involved me in every step of the process – from introductory phone calls, to customer conversations, to discussions with our legal team.
• In addition to deal work, I worked on an independent project and conducted research into a sector in which I was interested. The Lewis & Clark team guided me through this project, pointing out areas for further research and connecting me to experts and relevant start-ups.
• The Lewis & Clark team is fantastic to work with. They are experts in food and agriculture, have an incredible network to call on, and are also experienced investors. Everyone was open to sharing knowledge, answering questions, and supporting me in my learning.

SCHUYLER DALTON

Summer 2021 Intern

• I learned so much about agriculture and venture capital from working alongside the team at Lewis & Clark AgriFood.
• From listening to pitches, going deep on diligence, and helping with investment memos, I was able to contribute to each aspect of the investment process.
• The Lewis & Clark team is world class, and offers access to an incredible network of subject matter experts across each aspect of the food and agriculture sectors.

TROY MERTINS

Summer 2020 Intern

• I had the opportunity to gain experience in areas I wanted to focus on within the food & ag venture capital space. My project presentation was on an area I was interested in learning more about, controlled environment agriculture.
• I had exposure to a great deal of activity in a short amount of time that included closing a deal and fundraising.
• I felt like I was part of the team, not just an intern. My perspectives and contributions were valued and played a role in making key decisions.
• The group was intentional about providing support. This included assigning a mentor to ensure I had frequent, weekly check-ins.
• Having a project to work on while supporting the day-to-day gave the internship purpose and an opportunity to present to date ag specific information to the team.

JOE GARCIA

Summer 2019 Intern

• I had the opportunity to gain broad experience across various sub-sectors within food & ag, while also going deep in an area I was passionate about through developing an investment thesis in the alternative protein space.
• I was able to learn a ton about agriculture from the Lewis & Clark team, which brings decades of experience leading organizations in the industry and building and selling companies in the space.
• I felt like I was a full member of the team right from the get-go. I was included in every group meeting and felt that my opinion was solicited and valued.