By: Cynthia Munrayos
Mytreyi Sureshkumar, a third-year student majoring in International Affairs and Economics at Northeastern University, currently served as one of our interns at Innovation Studio Roxbury through Northeastern’s cooperative education program from January to June of this year. She helped assist many of the entrepreneurs we serve within the Roxbury business community.
“A lot of what I’ve done at Northeastern is very community-driven, so working in the Roxbury community through Innovation Studio has expanded my knowledge with business and innovation,” said Mytreyi.
Taking on a range of responsibilities, Mytreyi’s work at Innovation Studio included SEO training, assisting in the development of our blog website, event & program preparation, and backend operations management. Additionally, she played a key role in managing our Roxbury Innovation Center throughout the week. Our resource centers are located throughout Massachusetts and Rhode Island, with dedicated team members on-site to serve the community for walk-in needs related to starting or expanding your business.
“One big takeaway was improving my ability to respond to technical questions related to entrepreneurship and business ownership. Listening to each person’s needs added significant value during onsite walk-in appointments,” said Mytreyi.
Although Mytreyi has contributed greatly to our team, she also assists other works outside of school and Innovation Studio. She also actively participates in the Alliance of Civically Engaged Students which is a community engagement program focused on serving Boston neighborhoods and educating students in civic duties and responsibilities. In addition to other volunteer commitments, Mytreyi has worked with elderly individuals in teaching them computer skills through a digital literacy program.
“A lot of things that I learn in international affairs, such as global issues like poverty, resonate with the goals and aspirations of individuals in Roxbury seeking to create positive change,” said Mytreyi. “Many aspiring entrepreneurs come into the Roxbury Innovation Center with ideas that incorporate components of social justice, reflecting its importance to their business ethos.”
For Innovation Studio, it is imperative that we meet business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs where they are. Mytreyi’s research and work experience have offered valuable insights into Innovation Studio’s efforts in raising awareness within New England’s entrepreneurial communities. In addition to connecting locals with the right resources within our organization or community partner organizations.
“Being in the community and seeing that people wanna make a difference where they are has become a lot more meaningful to me,” said Mytreyi. “I think being able to talk to people with that asset based mindset is really helpful. We often see a lot of important work being done but don’t see a lot of collaboration, and that is really important at Innovation Studio.”
Last week, Mytreyi finished her internship at Innovation Studio and will travel abroad before resuming studies at NorthEastern University in the fall. Stay updated with our weekly blog posts for more content like this.
