What are the responsibilities and job description for the Summer Intern position at Sprocket Innovation?
Sprocket-U Internship Program
Location: Hybrid – Paducah, KY (Western Kentucky)
Commitment: 10-15 hours/week
Timeline: May 28 – August 6, 2025
Compensation: This is an unpaid internship for school credit.
About the Sprocket-U Internship Program:
Sprocket is on a mission to create, build, and grow businesses for the innovation economy. Our Sprocket-U Internship Program provides students with real-world experience in startups, technology, and entrepreneurship—whether working with Sprocket staff or directly with an innovative startup founder.
This internship is an opportunity for students to gain hands-on experience in one of our six focus areas:
- Business (Entrepreneurship, Administration, Operations)
- Nonprofit Management (Community Impact, Fundraising, Program Development)
- Graphic Design (Branding, Digital & Print Design)
- Videography (Content Creation, Editing, Storytelling)
- Marketing (Social Media, Communications, Outreach)
- Engineering (Software Development or Mechanical Engineering)
*If your expertise doesn’t fit neatly into these categories but could still contribute to the entrepreneurial ecosystem in a meaningful way, we’d love to hear from you.*
How It Works:
- Startups and interns both apply. Startups in the Sprocket network are looking for talent to help them scale, and students are eager for hands-on experience.
- Interns and startups will go through an interview process to ensure the best possible match based on skills, interests, and needs.
- Sprocket will carefully match interns with startups. After reviewing applications and interviews, Sprocket will facilitate the best fit for both the startup and intern.
- The match will be revealed on onboarding day. Interns will find out which startup they’ll be working with at the official kickoff session.
- Interns will also have the opportunity to work on a capstone project. This project allows interns to apply their skills to a meaningful challenge within the startup ecosystem and showcase their work at the end of the internship.
- Throughout the program, interns will gain mentorship, networking opportunities, and real-world startup experience while working directly with founders, Sprocket staff, and other ecosystem leaders.
What You’ll Do:
- Gain firsthand experience working with startup founders, entrepreneurs, and ecosystem leaders
- Work on real projects with measurable impact
- Collaborate with Sprocket’s staff and partners to develop solutions for startups
- Participate in mentorship, networking, and professional development opportunities
- Learn the ins and outs of innovation, investment, and business growth
- Complete a capstone project to apply your skills and contribute to the startup ecosystem
Who We’re Looking For
- Self-starters who thrive in a fast-paced, entrepreneurial environment
- Creative problem-solvers eager to make a real impact
- Students with experience or interest in startups, technology, economic development, and business strategy
- Strong communicators and collaborators
- Passionate individuals who want to help build the future of entrepreneurship in West Kentucky
Why Join Sprocket?
- Work directly with entrepreneurs and innovation leaders
- Hybrid work flexibility based in Paducah, KY (Western Kentucky)
- Networking and mentorship from industry professionals
- Real-world experience in an emerging startup ecosystem
- Earn school credit while gaining resume-boosting experience
- Exciting matching process—find out your startup placement on onboarding day
- Capstone project opportunity to showcase your skills and make a lasting impact