Summer Internship Spotlight: Undergraduate Student Supports Global Entrepreneurship Efforts

Danny Morales (B’23) interned this summer remotely for Endeavor Global, a global nonprofit organization that supports high-impact entrepreneurs. Morales shared with us his experience supporting Endeavor’s business development team, which he has continued to do during the fall semester.

What did you learn while interning for Endeavor Global?

Endeavor supports high-impact entrepreneurs through its extensive network, so they can grow their ventures, create jobs, transform economies, and support future generations of entrepreneurs. 

As a business development summer intern I worked closely with Endeavor’s partners to support programs for Endeavor companies. I had a significant role in the AI Fast Track program as coordinator and program manager. The AI Fast Track is a technical three-month program where underrepresented entrepreneurs work closely with an IBM subject matter expert for a series of sessions that focus on best practices to embed artificial intelligence into business solutions. I worked closely with Endeavor entrepreneurs and the IBM AI Fast Track team to ensure that the founders were benefiting from the program.

What did you enjoy most about your internship?

I researched and wrote success stories about inspirational Endeavor entrepreneurs in the fintech sector from Mexico and Nigeria. One that stood out to me was Adolfo Babatz, founder and CEO of Clip, a digital payments platform for small and medium businesses in Mexico. After doing my research on him and listening to his Ted Talks, I was blown away by his journey. I spoke with the local Endeavor office in Mexico City and learned more in depth about Babatz’ impact not only in the Endeavor community but also in Mexico as a whole. A sample of the story I wrote about Babatz can be found here.

Is this your first work experience? If not, how did working remotely compare to previous on-site experiences? How did you adjust?

Endeavor was my first professional job and it was all virtual. I had my doubts on the onboarding process as it is challenging to interact with people through a screen as well as to adapt to the culture of a company as a newcomer. In my case, I had to interact with a very global community with more than 40 countries represented. I took this as an opportunity to reach out to other Endeavor offices and meet more people internationally as Zoom allowed me to. While the time difference was a challenge I enjoyed engaging with staff I would have never met without Zoom, and truly felt connected to them while being thousands of miles away. 

Describe what a regular day of work looked like.

My mornings started with a meeting with the entire office, where each team would present what they had been working on. On most days, either my boss or myself would give a presentation to inform everyone of our progress. Then I had a weekly call with IBM to talk about the AI Fast Track program. After the meeting I would send out emails to schedule mentoring sessions between IBM subject matter experts and Endeavor companies’ representatives. I attended those meetings as an observer and reported back to the AI Fast Track team. I also conducted research and wrote success stories about endeavor entrepreneurs; depending on the day, I would have a call with Lagos, or Mexico City, to get more information about our entrepreneurs in those markets.

What was it like to meet the head of global partnerships at Endeavor?? 

Endeavor Global has its headquarters in New York City and I was fortunate enough to finally meet my boss, Santiago Muro, head of global partnerships, in person. We met at a French pastries café near Central Park. I had my favorite pastry, pastel de nata, and we had a discussion about the company and my performance during my summer internship. My boss gave me great feedback on what I could improve and at the end of our meeting I was even more motivated to work for Endeavor and my team.

How has this work experience changed or shaped your future career interests?

As a Georgetown McDonough student it is very tempting to pursue the investment banking or consulting career path. However, working for a Global nonprofit organization like Endeavor has opened my eyes to what I really want to do and where I want to do it. By interacting with the Endeavor community and witnessing their contagious passion I want to work for or alongside entrepreneurs who are changing the world.  

What do you want to pursue moving forward? Is “global” important to you?

As a citizen with a global outlook — I lived nine years in Spain and 11 years in the U.S. — I only see myself working on a global role and interacting with different cultures. Studying at Georgetown McDonough, working for Endeavor and supporting the Global Business Initiative team has exposed me to our school’s international network. I want to work next summer at Endeavor’s Spanish office and get hands-on experience on the entrepreneurial ecosystem in Madrid.