Sponsor Project Guidelines

JumpStart NYC is a unique program to help experienced professionals leaving the financial services industry to explore opportunities to add value in New York’s entrepreneurial sector. It is also a great opportunity for sponsoring enterprises to benefit from the experience and skills of a motivated, experienced professional. As a part of the JumpStartNYC program, participants are expected to spend 10 weeks working in a sponsor client's business, conducting a project on an important business opportunity. Each participant will be assigned a coach who will meet with the student periodically to review, advise and assist. The following paragraphs outline a few guidelines to keep in mind in designing a project to maximize the mutual value for everyone.

|We believe that the best experience overall will come about when a sponsor can identify a clear role, best defined by a substantive project that can provide value to the company as well as a learning opportunity for the participant. A good project description should include a scope of work sufficient to engage a professional for 10 weeks of up to full-time work. Both sides will gain the most when the project involves a problem or opportunity that is challenging but achievable for an experienced professional to work on and finish in that time. The average experience of our applicant pool is over ten years, so these people come with more experience than what most people think of as an “intern”.

We ask each sponsoring company to define one (or more) projects that would be of value for the company, using the attached one-page form which also asks for some basic company information. Since the participants are not likely to be paid, the experience should provide a learning experience that can add to their resume and help them evaluate whether they want to get more involved in the sector. We hope that they can deliver value, such that you might want to find an opportunity for them.

We’re sensitive to asking you to fill out documents, but believe that some time spent now will make the match and the eventual experience the best for all concerned. We also understand that the startup world is full of change and immediacy, and the best laid plans may get side-tracked. Part of the learning experience is learning how to adapt to it, and modifying the plan as we go.

Some examples of good project descriptions might include a market research project for an industry vertical or regional market; an analytic project related to the company’s operational practices; the completion of more sophisticated financial planning approach, etc. Build from your current needs, and specify deliverables, as much as you can.

We are accepting project applications until April 6th. The educational program begins April 13th, and the projects will start on April 20th. We hope to be able to offer options/selection on both sides, while recognizing the speed with which it is all happening will limit the time available for this.

Thanks for your interest. If you have questions, please contact Tom Moebus, JumpStart NYC Co-Director at 212-317-3570.