Helping the Growth of Community-Focused Organizations, Businesses, and Governments
By Kiley Briand ‘25This summer I worked closely alongside the founder and CEO of RYSE as the Business Development and Strategy Intern. I also supported the work of our Policy Intern and collaborated with the RYSE advisory board.
RYSE mission statement: “Ryse Local Ventures (RYSE) is an economic justice consulting firm focused on accelerating the impact and growth of community-focused organizations, businesses, and governments. We add sustainable capacity and support around impact/performance evaluation, market research, program/product design, and strategic planning; we also add executive-level interim support in the operations and finance functions. Our goal is to bring equitable business acumen to the forefront for our clients and the communities they serve.”The projects I worked on were focused on research around business development including sales, marketing, policy, and operations strategies; software implementation; and capacity building. This summer I was challenged to develop new organizational and thinking skills. Working through my various projects and assignments, I was forced to problem solve and collaborate with my team to generate solutions. I gained new skills in professional development including how to have a professional meeting, run an effective meeting, create a data-based suggestion, and accept feedback.
My favorite part of the internship was the exposure to personnel from the CDFI, nonprofit, government, and policy industries. These interactions afforded me the opportunity to present my work and collaborate with individuals with extensive business experience. The connections I established toward my network will be valuable in the years to come.
Internship funded by the CXD Internship Fund.