The ELABis a one semester course that combines classroom sessions focused on practical entrepreneurial management issues with an internship in a high growth private enterprise.  Students will spend on average one day per week over a 10 week period at the sponsoring company.  Companies must be located in the San Francisco Bay Area and be in the early stages of a high growth potential business.

Students enrolled in the E-Lab come from a variety of educational and work backgrounds and have been selected based on criteria including academic performance, work experience and career goals.  In order to make the program most valuable to students and employers, we require each student to be assigned a senior level mentor within the start-up to check progress and goals.

Students are highly motivated and very interested in gaining experience in a start-up work environment.  While menial tasks are often part of life in a start-up, the goal is to provide meaningful work and a mutually beneficial relationship between the student, company, and SJSU.

There is no fee for employers to participate in the program and no requirement to compensate the students, although that is at the company’s discretion.  However, we are asking employers happy with their experience in the program to make a donation to San Jose State University (suggested minimum donation $500) to provide support to continue the program.

 What is the deadline to sign up for the program?
      The deadline for the current semester is February 10th, 2017.  Earlier      
      submissions appreciated.

How do I sign up for the program?
Complete the online application or short form and email to Steve Bennet,           course instructor, at steven dot bennet at sjsu dot edu.    

If we sign up, are we guaranteed an intern?
      No.  We will do our best to match the students with interested companies,    
      but there is no guarantee that there will be students available for each 
      opportunity.  In addition, students and companies will both be able to 
      interview each other to make sure there is a good match with expectations, 
      experience and interests.

What other expectations are there for companies that participate?
     The primary expectations are to provide a meaningful work experience and
     mentoring relationship.  We require that the mentor be a company founder or
     on  the executive team (VP level or above).  You may have another team
     member directly supervise the intern, but the mentor needs at a minimum to
     meet with the student periodically

Can I meet with the entire group of students?
      Yes. We invite all companies to introduce their business to the class and
      discuss internship opportunities.  We view this as a great way to expose
      students to a variety of high growth ventures.  We will
      be holding Entrepreneur/Intern “speed dating” at these sessions. This will
      take place in the evening on either February 15th or 22nd and is optional, but
      highly recommended.

Does San Jose State provide any compensation to the students?
      No.  The students earn course credit and valuable work experience.  Some 
      of the students have been hired after the end of the course as paid interns or
      for full time roles.

Our HR Manager advised us that we can’t hire unpaid interns?
      While it is true that many labor attorneys have taken this position, we have 
      been advised that this course meets the stringent requirements for an
      unpaid internship.  The National Association of Colleges and Employers  
      recently came out with a position paper and more information can be found 
      at  http://www.naceweb.org/about/membership/internship/.    

How many students are in the program?
      This is a highly competitive course and is capped at 15 students.  There is 
      an application and interview process to ensure all participants are qualified.

Is there a specific day or time that the intern works?
      No, this is to be arranged between company and intern.  However, 80 hours 
      need to be completed prior to the end of the semester.  Due to academic 
      and other commitments, some students are only able to work the minimum,
      while others may chose to work more.

May I hire a student?
       Yes, at the conclusion of the semester.  Many of the students will be
      graduating seniors and seeking full time employment, while others will be 
      continuing their studies and may be available for part-time work.

Where can I learn more about the program?
      Contact Steve Bennet at 650-656-8076 or steven dot bennet at sjsu dot edu.