Hilary asked what participation in the hackNY‘s 2010 internship program meant to us at Aprizi. Here is what Liz and I sent her. We cannot stress enough how important the program is for the nascent NYC startup ecosystem, so I wanted to share these words publicly:
Aprizi was honored to take part in the 2010 hackNY internship program. Our intern, Julie Dinerman from Columbia University, was fabulous. Her work ethic and pace of learning was quite impressive, and we have components of her code running on our website today (aside: you can read Julie’s final thoughts here). As a small and busy startup, we were also thankful that the program took care of the task of navigating multiple universities and screening students.
hackNY’s importance transcends the literal and direct contribution of the students. The organization is strengthening the entrepreneurial ecosystem in New York, not just between companies but also between universities! It is changing the recruiting dynamic in a way no single startup could.
This year’s program was not about just 10 students. It was about giving a talented group of young men and women an “in the trenches” window into the reality of startups and innovation which they can take back to their classmates. On the East Coast, where we lack the mythology of Silicon Valley, students are wooed by the big budgets and brands of banks and consulting firms. hackNY is helping to demystify what entrepreneurship is about, making it accessible and real, and elevating startups in the minds of students as a valid and exciting path worth considering.