The word “internship” can have an intimidating connotation for a college student. It conjures images of spreadsheets, cubicles, and fluorescent lighting. Yes, I knew how to turn in assignments, do basic Excel work, and collaborate on the occasional group project, but what did that have to do with a job in the real world?
My summer as an intern with Capital Energy answered that question. It taught me that you don’t need to know everything on day one. There is always room to learn, to try things that don’t work, and above all else to surround yourself with people who are supportive and passionate about a common purpose.
The first lesson came on the pickleball court. Bosses can be intimidating, but Ted made sure to dispel that notion from the start. Our first in-person meeting was a team-building exercise to get to know each other and talk about Capital Energy’s goals and philosophy, and with my new mentors Ted and Carolyn being avid players, it was only fitting that it took place on the court. I missed several shots and served the ball into the net one too many times, but my slip-ups were met with laughter and encouragement.
That set the tone for the rest of the summer. “We move fast, make mistakes, learn from them, iterate, rebuild, and do it all over again. It’s a continuous flywheel of improvement,” they said. To them, so-called mistakes are just how we learn what doesn’t work, which is just as important as discovering what does.
I also learned that the language of the workplace isn’t as foreign as it sounds. In the early weeks, I was given the opportunity to participate in the Greentown Labs Energy Bar, a networking event where investors and founders share ideas. Like the word “internship,” networking can be intimidating, yet it turned out to be one of my most valued experiences. I pitched our company and goals to founders at the same stage of development, investors, managers, and people who were simply curious about getting started in this ecosystem. Back at my desk, answering emails and conducting research, I learned that terms such as “Series A” and “technology stacks” are not nearly as complex as they sound. Learning the vocabulary of the workplace is like learning any other language; with time and practice, those foreign words begin to hold meaning. It helped that Ted has a personal side quest: he asks people to spell out any acronyms they use. He thinks acronyms are overused, and we should avoid them, or at least footnote them, whenever possible.
Finally, I was trusted with real work. About halfway through my time with Capital Energy, our service offerings began to evolve. Originally, the focus was helping founders identify gaps in their business readiness so they could reach their next milestone, faster. We realized this could be valuable to investors and ecosystem operators as well, helping them support their portfolio and member companies. I worked on our new website, developing imagery and analyzing content and structure, and used resources like MIT’s Jetpack to analyze business plans. I also built out our Customer Relationship Management (CRM) database in HubSpot, applying what I learned in my operations management and marketing classes to blend our old data into the new system. I was given the tools and support I needed to grow, and the flexibility to help in ways that came naturally to me.
Capital Energy helps companies identify gaps in their business readiness and shows them how to bridge them. They did the same for my perception of the workplace.
This applies to life, business, and the pickleball court.
P.S. Today is Maryn’s birthday! 🎂 Happy birthday Maryn, wishing you a great day and year ahead! All the best, from Capital Energy.