Sumeru Equity Partners, a technology-focused growth capital firm has partnered with eight of its portfolio companies—3Gtms, Actian, Ceros, Criteria, GoGuardian, Loopio, SocialChorus, and Tasktop—to recruit the second cohort of students for the 2021 Sumeru Fellows Program, an academy-style undergraduate internship program engaging college students in investing, business, and technology roles within Sumeru and its portfolio companies. The Fellows Program expands on the firm’s initiatives to promote diversity, inclusion, mentorship, and equality in our community by training and preparing future leaders.
In collaboration with its portfolio companies and recruiting advisors—Weeks Mensah and Kwadwo Nyarko (founders of SourceDiv)—Sumeru selected and placed 23 students from diverse backgrounds in internships covering sales, marketing, engineering, finance, operations, and investing roles. Sumeru Fellows also participate in professional development workshops, fireside chats with industry leaders and networking seminars designed to develop skills necessary for long-term career success.
“We are excited to partner with our portfolio companies for the second year of the Fellows Program,” said Sumeru Managing Directors Kyle Ryland and Sanjeet Mitra. “We started Fellows with the strong belief that real innovation requires systematic promotion of inclusion, a diverse set of thoughts and backgrounds and access starting at early stages of career development. We worked with a terrific group of students in the 2020 class, many of whom have gone on to pursue exciting opportunities within the technology and finance industries. We are thrilled to partner with the 2021 class this summer to extend their knowledge of the technology and financial industries and expand their professional skillsets.”
The program continues to emphasize mentorship from Sumeru and its portfolio, and access to the broader Sumeru network. “Mentorship, access to opportunities, and practical experience are essential for career advancement and broadening the scope of education beyond the classroom,” said Jialin Zhang, Head of Sumeru Fellows & Senior Associate at Sumeru. “We consider these three pillars to be core components of the Sumeru Fellows Program and are committed to continuing to provide career guidance and access to our broader network in technology and finance for the Fellows.”
The companies that have chosen to engage in the program continue to be excited about the opportunity to work with the next generation of the workforce. “The Fellows Program delivers exceptional real-world experience that positions these talented students for future success.” said Elizabeth Dadanian, Chief People Officer at GoGuardian. “In a single summer, students not only get a traditional internship experience at an awesome tech company or within Sumeru, but they develop meaningful relationships across an entire portfolio of companies, while being exposed to the world of private equity – all before graduation.”
“When we were approached about partnering with Sumeru for the 2021 Fellows Program, we were thrilled about the opportunity. We strongly believe that more focus needs to be placed on promoting diversity, inclusion, mentorship, and equality across all stages of employment – including internships, and look forward to continuing this partnership,” said Melissa Ribeiro, Chief People Officer at Actian.
The program is designed as an annual summer program. Applications for the 2022 Fellows Program will open in Fall 2021. Sumeru Equity Partners is an equal opportunity employer.
About Sumeru Equity Partners
Sumeru Equity Partners provides growth capital, strategic insight, and operating expertise to enterprise technology companies in North America and Europe. Our experienced team partners with founders and company management to grow their business, build innovative products that delight customers, and hire great people. For more information and a full list of the Sumeru portfolio, please visit www.sumeruequity.com.