Venture Internships

SUMMARY

The Venture Intern Program matches talented undergraduate students from the University of Arkansas with startups, entrepreneurship support organizations, and investor networks for semester-long internships and provides training to help them to succeed in ambiguous, fast-paced environments. 

The Venture Internship Program has three goals:

  • Provide students with exposure to the workings of early-stage companies and the decision-making/negotiations inherent to startup environments,
  • Develop the entrepreneurial student community at the University of Arkansas and throughout the region, and
  • Allow startups and entrepreneurship support organizations to recruit talented student interns with as little administrative burden as possible.

Applications for Fall 2026 will open March 13, 2026.

NEW! VIP EXPRESS

Need quick project help or flexible, real-world experience? Visit VIP Express to connect students and businesses through fast, paid, project-based work with no semester commitment required.

Read More

UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS

Program Expectations

Students selected for the program are expected to:

  • Commit to working a minimum of 15 hours per week for 12 consecutive weeks
  • Actively participate in the following throughout the semester:
    • Orientation
    • 2 small group sessions
    • Mid-semester check-in with GA
    • Weekly reflections (VIP Field Notebook)
    • Capstone presentation

Eligibility Requirements for Students:

To be eligible for this program, students must:

  • Be a junior or senior in good standing from any discipline at the University of Arkansas
  • Be approved to enroll in at least one credit hour of co-op credit within their respective college. Please confirm eligibility with your academic advisor. (Walton College students must have completed their business core requirements.)
  • Hold a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0. Students who fall below this threshold but demonstrate exceptional qualifications may still be considered.

Compensation:

Students will be paid $15.00 per hour and are expected to work an average of 15 hours per week.

 Co-op/Internship Credit:

All participants must enroll in a minimum of one credit hour. Students are responsible for coordinating enrollment with their respective college, as requirements vary across colleges at the University of Arkansas

Student Application

 

PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS

The Venture Intern Program partners with startups and entrepreneurial organizations across Northwest Arkansas to provide University of Arkansas students with hands-on startup experience.

Eligible partner organizations include scalable ventures (for-profit or nonprofit), entrepreneurship support organizations, accelerator programs, and investor networks. Ventures participating in the program are actively building or growing their business.

For the purposes of this program, a scalable venture is one that can grow its revenue, impact, or operations without a proportional increase in resources. For example, a freelance service business may not be scalable, while a company with a model designed to expand through hiring, licensing, or replication could qualify.

Partner organizations should provide meaningful learning experiences that expose students to the realities of working in an entrepreneurial environment. In addition to project-based work, interns may gain exposure to areas such as strategy, fundraising, financial planning, leadership discussions, and founder decision-making.

Organizations that have hosted a Venture Intern in previous semesters are welcome to apply again.

Participation Tiers

Organizations participate in the program through the following tiers:

  • Tier 1 – Early-Stage Ventures
    $1,500 for the first intern; $3,000 for each additional intern
    • For-profit or nonprofit ventures five years old or younger
     
    Tier 2 – Established Organizations
    $3,000 per intern
    • Organizations six years or older
     
    Tier 3 – Entrepreneurship Ecosystem Organizations
    $3,000 per intern
    • Accelerators or incubators
    • Venture capital or investor networks
    • Entrepreneurship support organizations serving startups
     

Questions

For questions about the Venture Intern Program, contact Ericka Talley, Venture Intern Program Manager, at etalley@walton.uark.edu.

Organization Application

Spring 2026 - Venture Interns

Spring 2026 - Organizations 

NEW! Venture Intern Program Express

VIP Express is a fast, flexible talent program that matches University of Arkansas students with local businesses for short-term, project-based internships. Unlike the semester-long Venture Intern Program, VIP Express is designed for businesses that need focused help, and for students who want to build real experience on their own schedule. Employers set the hourly rate and project scope upfront, giving students full clarity on compensation before they apply. 

How It Works

Students

Ready to gain real-world experience on your schedule? Here's how to get started with VIP Express. 

  1. Create Your Profile

    Sign up and build your student profile — highlight your skills, major, and the type of work you're looking for to stand out to employers. 

  2. Browse Open Projects

    Explore available projects from local businesses and startups. Each listing shows the project scope, hourly rate, estimated hours, and total estimated pay — so you know exactly what you're applying for. 

  3. Apply in Minutes

    Submit your application with a short-answer response tailored to the project. No lengthy interview process — just a quick, focused application. 

  4. Get to Work

    Once selected, connect with your employer, align on deliverables, and start building real experience that grows your portfolio and your network in NWA. 

APPLY NOW

Employers

VIP Express is built to be simple for businesses. From profile to hire, most employers have applicants in hand within 48 hours. 

  1. Create Your Employer Profile

    Introduce your organization and highlight your early-career opportunities to attract top student talent from the University of Arkansas. 

  2. Access Templates

    We'll share our library of customizable project templates that you can edit and post in minutes, plus tips to help define your own project for the best results. 

  3. Get Expert Support

    Need help? Our team is available to assist with project scoping and identifying the right tasks to assess candidates for your open roles. 

  4. Receive Applicants

    Most projects attract top candidates within 48 hours. You'll review profiles, resumes, and short-answer responses to find the perfect fit. 

POST A PROJECT

Benefits & Features

VIP Express students can help with a wide range of short-term project types: 

  • Social Media Content Creation
  • Website Updates
  • Data Clean-Up
  • Social Media Competitive Review
  • Candidate Sourcing
  • Competitor Prospecting
  • Lead Generation
  • Product Development
  • Marketing
  • Research

Students

  • Open to all enrolled U of A undergraduates — no GPA minimum
  • See full project scope and estimated pay before applying 
  • Build your portfolio with real, local business experience 
  • Work on your schedule — no semester-long commitment required 
  • Earn $15–$25/hr based on the employer's posted rate 
  • Network directly with businesses in the NWA ecosystem 
APPLY NOW

Employers

  • Access motivated, skilled University of Arkansas talent 
  • Set your own rate and project timeline — full flexibility  
  • No long-term hiring commitment or administrative burden  
  • Ideal for social media, research, marketing, data, and more  
  • Low-cost alternative to traditional contract staffing  
  • Pipeline to identify full-time talent before graduation 
POST A PROJECT

Compensation Structure

Employers set their own hourly rate within the program range and define the estimated hours for the project. Every student sees their total estimated earnings before applying — no surprises. 

Entry-Level Projets — $15/hr (Employer-set rate) 
Well-suited for data entry, social media content, basic research, and administrative support. 

Standard Projects — $18–$20/hr (Employer-set rate) [MOST COMMON] 
Typical for marketing projects, financial analysis, presentations, event support, and  cross-functional work. 

Specialized Projects — $25/hr (Employer-set rate) 
Designed for technical work such as software development, design systems, or data science. 

Estimated Total Compensation:When you post a project, you'll set an estimated number of hours. The platform automatically calculates and displays the estimated total payout to students — making VIP Express transparent and competitive. 


Contact

Have questions about VIP Express? Contact Ericka Talley, Senior Program Manager for Student Entrepreneur Programs ETalley@walton.uark.edu 

123 W. Mountain Street · University of Arkansas · Fayetteville, Arkansas 72701