Hello future co-op students! If you’re thinking about a role in entrepreneurship support or communications, let me tell you about my eight-month internship as an Entrepreneurship & Communications Coordinator at the Centre for Entrepreneurship Education and Development (CEED). I’ll share what I did, the skills I learned, and some honest thoughts to help you figure out if this co-op is a good fit for you.
What CEED Does
Our mission here at CEED is to help entrepreneurs the best we can with whatever they might need. We do so via training, mentorship, workshops, loans, and resources. There is a program for every stage of an entrepreneurial journey. For those unsure where to start, the six-week Incubator program offers expert guidance from advisors with over 20 years of experience in starting and scaling businesses. For established businesses, the Accelerator program provides active sessions to develop leadership skills and build operational structures for growth. Additionally, CEED offers loans at any stage, which is especially helpful since banks often hesitate to lend to independent entrepreneurs. CEED’s trusted reputation makes securing affordable loans much easier as unlike the big banks, CEED invests in you rather than your numbers.
The Work Environment
As an intern for the first time, I had no idea what to expect. The initial onboarding process was a lot to take in all at once, but my colleagues and boss did everything they could to make me feel welcomed and a part of the team. After the first couple of weeks of onboarding, I really found my groove and could confidently say I was comfortable in my role. I can also say that all of the employees here are mission-driven, not clock-punchers. It’s inspiring to see the passion and care that goes into their work here. You can tell they truly care about the success of each and every entrepreneur that they help. My boss, Priyanka Kakkar has been great. She walks a balance of being strict enough to push me to do better and do everything she asks of me. But at the same time, she also trusts me to execute in my own way. That way, I have the creative freedom to complete tasks in ways that work best for me and my skillset without being too micromanaged. It also garners trust between us as she doesn’t keep a close eye on me and trusts I will do what’s needed to give her the results she wants. I also really enjoy the flexible working arrangements CEED offers us. Having the flexibility to work from home twice a week is a great balance for me, and I really enjoy this style of work. The main downside is limited cross-team interaction as there is no communal lunch area and staggered WFH days mean the office can feel empty at times. Apart from that one small complaint, CEED has overall been a great internship experience and I’m so thankful for the people I’ve met, the things I’ve learned, and the experience I’ve gained working here.
My Role and Responsibilities
Key Responsibilities
- Program Delivery: Assisted with workshops and coordinated materials.
- Entrepreneur Engagement: Provided support and outreach to organizations.
- Research & Data: Collected data on market trends and program outcomes.
- Marketing & Communications: Wrote monthly newsletters; edited and posted weekly colleague blogs using Canva and Elementor.
- Event Planning: Organized Ask The Expert and Small Business Cafe.
- Alumni Interviews: Prepared questions, recorded, edited, and posted videos.
- Administrative Support: Handled scheduling, reporting, and event logistics/follow-ups.
- Team Collaboration: Worked closely on projects and meetings.
My main goal at the start was to meet or exceed the expectation of my boss and ensure she approved of the quality of work I did. I also wanted to improve upon the work of my predecessor and have a greater impact and overall perform better. Simultaneously, I also wanted to leave my position in better order than I found it by marking down processes for my successor to use to build upon and perform better than me. I am pleased and fulfilled to say that I believe I achieved all these goals throughout my eight months at CEED. During my time at CEED, several key events, tasks, and people significantly influenced my experience. Organizing and supporting events like Ask The Expert and Small Business Cafe gave me direct exposure to entrepreneurs and business experts, deepening my understanding of the local entrepreneurial ecosystem. Interviewing CEED alumni, which involved writing questions, filming, editing, and posting interviews on social media, helped me develop strong communication and multimedia skills while sharing inspiring success stories. The guidance and mentorship I received from Priyanka Kakkar, Vice President – Operations and Kennedy Wry, Communications & Engagement Coordinator, were especially impactful, providing valuable insights that shaped my professional growth. Additionally, managing the monthly newsletter and weekly blog posts improved my writing and editing abilities, ensuring CEED’s messaging was clear and engaging. Together, these experiences created a rich learning environment that helped me grow both professionally and personally during my internship.
Skills I Developed
During my time at CEED, I’ve developed skills I’ll use throughout my career. On the soft side, I improved networking and selling programs to clients. Each pitch got easier, and mistakes helped me refine my relationship-building. Time management and adaptability were tested constantly as I juggled tasks, adapted to new software, and delivered quality work.
For hard skills, I became fluent in MailChimp and CyberImpact by designing monthly newsletters for over 4,000 subscribers, improving with every send. I learned to promote events on social media and create Eventbrite pages for various events like Ask The Expert and Small Business Cafe. I also improved at writing interview questions, recording, and editing videos on Vimeo, plus posting content via WordPress and Elementor.
Final Thoughts
If you’re passionate about entrepreneurship and thrive in a small, flexible team, CEED could be a great internship opportunity for you. You’ll learn real skills and make a real impact you can see and quantify. I want to thank everyone at CEED for making this an invaluable and unforgettable internship experience. It was a pleasure to work for CEED these past 8 months.