Mykolas Romeris University (MRU) Communication and Creative Technologies Master’s Degree student Karolina Urbonaitė is spending 2023 in Silicon Valley undertaking a professional internship in a risk capital fund and innovation platform. She details her experiences after winning a Baltic American Freedom Foundation (BAFF) scholarship.
-Why did you decide to temporary halt your studies and undertake a internship in Silicon Valley? How did you get selected?
After a year of studies at MRU, I ended up in Silicon Valley at one of the largest risk capital fund and innovation platforms in the world. For a long time I worked as a communication specialist and before leaving for the U.S. I was the international programme head at the Innovations Agency. When I saw in the MRU e-mail an invitation to apply for a Baltic American Freedom Foundation (BAFF) scholarship, I could not pass by the chance for this opportunity. The offer to apply came at a time of my life when I had no commitments: no children, no family or other responsibilities.
-What is the Baltic American Freedom Fund that awarded you this scholarship? How was the selection process?
I left for the U.S. after I was selected to take part in the Professional Internship programme which is offered by BAFF. This programme offers opportunities for students from the Baltic States to acquire valuable experience and to undertake a professional internship in a U.S. company. The BAFF programme is very competitive. Only very motivated students are selected who have clear goals for their professional career in the future. The selection process took several months. First, it was necessary to submit the main documents together with recommendations from your employer and the university. Selected students are then invited to a motivational interview. After the the final list of candidates is announced. I want to emphasis that first the selection process takes place for the programme. After that, working together with programme staffers, the place for the internship is selected. The selection process for the company internship is a separate process altogether. I know that some students were offered an internship immediately. In my case, the process took longer. When I participated in the first interview, I was given several tasks and then there was another interview. Then I found out which company had selected me. It’s necessary to say that applying to a specific place for an internship, you are also competing with students from the U.S. The bigger the company, the more difficult the selection process. In my case, my selected company was Plug and Play Tech Centre, one of the largest risk capital fund and innovation platforms in the world. Therefore, the selection process took longer.
-What tasks do you have to undertake during the professional internship and what is your experience?
At first, I was a little scared of this internship because my area of specialisation is communication. I have nothing to do with finances, which is commonplace in risk capital funds. However, when I came to the U.S., I understood that not only your job experience or university degrees are important, but also personal characteristics and experience in a specific area. So my experience in communation was invaluable. During my internship, I had to talk with Start-Ups and understand what potential their product or technology has. In addition, I had to stay in touch with the largest corporations in the world (such as Nike, McDonald’s, Colgate) and help them find Startups, who could help them resolve certain challenges. It is also important to stay in touch with other investors. So communication experience is important and comes in handy in this case. What I like in my internship is that you are not considered an intern, but an employee like all other staff there. That means that you receive the same tasks and responsibilities as other staffers. It is a possibility to grow professionally. For example, during my 3rd internship week, I was a judge in a StartUp pitch competition. It was fun that I was quickly able to become a team member. Plug and Play Tech Centre employs more than 650 people throughout the world. My team had more than 130 investors. It is great that we were not left on the sidelines. During my 3rd month I was given an excellent evaluation. I was selected employee of the month.
-Will this internship help you in your future professional career in Lithuania?
My time here is limited. I am trying to see and learn as much as possible as well as travel (I have visited Los Angeles, New Orleans, Arkansas and Miami). In my position here I have tried to make Lithuania more well-known and help Start-ups in Lithuania. I actively cooperate with various institutions as well as the Commercial Attache in the U.S. and with Lithuanian Start-Ups trying to enter the U.S. market. I am convinced that my experience will be invaluable and useful, when I return to Lithuania. What is a little unbelievable is that Lithuania has 3 unicorns. Here, the Plug and Play Tech Centre has 31 unicorns, I think it was not possible to find a better company, which would help me to understand the U.S. market. And, as you know, Silicon Valley is the best place for growing the best Start-ups in the world. So far, I am the first and only Lithuanian in this company. I think that there will be other students who will come from Lithuania, after my internship ends.
-Your experience so far sounds very positive. Did you encounter any difficulties? What kind of strange situations did you encounter?
Although everything sounds great, I did have some difficulties. First of all, I came to a totally new continent where things are done differently than I am used to. I am a very social, outgoing person. So, in the beginning I missed my friends and family. I miss them even now. Having come to live in another country, you have to understand that it will take some time until you make contacts and have a whole new set of friends. It takes time to get used to a new environment and different traditions. Of course, everything depends on the place - the state- where you live. For example, California is a car-centered state. You will see more Teslas here, than pedestrians or people walking around. I have visited quite a few of U.S. cities, but San Francisco was one of the cities I liked the best. When I first went there, I entered the “Golden Gate Bridge” on my map From the train station I simply walked to the Bridge taking in the sounds and beauty of the city. It took me several hours. When I told my co-workers at work, they couldn’t believe that I walked so much because it is not common to do so there. Of course, California has incredibly beautiful nature and a whole sleuth of national parks. So, for me to say that the locals do not like to walk, would be incorrect. However, they take the car a lot, when they could simply walk to their destination,
-Why would you recommend others to apply for such a BAFF internship?
Summarising my 5-month experience, I can say that I am very happy that I had this opportunity to be acquainted with another culture, market and also learn more about myself. Every challenge, which you face, allows one to grow as an individual and also professionally. I can't imagine being anywhere else right now.
