Best. summer. ever.

The Desai Accelerator Internship Program is a win-win: our portfolio companies get to work with talented students like you, and you get to experience the intensity and innovation of startup culture. This isn't just an internship—it's an accelerated education in entrepreneurship.

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Program Details
FAQ

60 Projects. Infinite possibilities.

Over 12 transformative weeks, our intern cohort of ten exceptional students delivers high-impact projects (typically 60-80 in a summer) for our entire cohort of startups. Previous interns have built market-ready products, conducted breakthrough research, and developed strategies that generated millions in revenue. Projects have included:

Strategic Growth

  • Market research and competitive analysis

  • Customer acquisition strategies

  • Business model optimization

  • Market research and sizing

Technical Innovation

  • AI/ML solutions development

  • Frontend and backend development

  • Mobile application creation

  • Product design and prototyping

Design Challenges

  • Interactive prototype development

  • Customer discovery interviews

  • UI/UX assessment and design

  • Logo design and brand development

Previous interns have a lot to say about Desai.

  • “There is a lot of ambiguity but to see a study turn into something tangible and make an impact with my research was so rewarding."

    Emily Lin
    MSI‘26
    UX Design & Research

  • "My brain was always active and energized, I felt excited to come into work."

    Niranjana Venkataramanan
    MBA ‘26

  • “My education at U-M, partnered with my experiences at Desai, felt like the whole lifecycle. I was finally able to take what I understood from courses and apply it to real life situations."

    Rexell Kurniawan
    BS Computer Science ‘26
    Minor in Entrepreneurship

  • "The weekly design team meetings were GREAT. 10/10. I felt so supported and it definitely exceeded my expectations of the program."

    Anna Kim
    MSI ‘26
    UX/UI Design & Agile Research Development

FAQ

The 2025 intern cohort: Ninja Venkataramanan, Lauren Hahn, Rexell Kurniawan, Nor Danish Nor Hisham, Jaryl Shao, Emily Lin, Andrew Nguyen, Anna Kim, Aaryaman Rathi, Stella Peng

    • Competitive compensation for domestic and international students

    • Real-world projects for your portfolio

    • Direct mentorship from entrepreneurs

    • Extensive network access within Michigan entrepreneurship ecosystem

  • The Desai Accelerator internship is 12 weeks. The 2026 program runs from June 1–August 21.

    • Passion for entrepreneurship and innovation

    • Technical skills relevant to startup needs

    • Collaborative mindset and rapid learning ability

    • Commitment to excellence and impact

  • Our 90+ interns have gone on to positions at many companies including:

    • FAANG companies

    • Palo Alto Networks

    • Lyft

    • Slack

    • pwc

    • Deloitte

    • NBC Universal

  • No! We consider applications from all colleges and schools at the University of Michigan–Ann Arbor.

  • Unfortunately, no. You must be a currently-enrolled student to qualify for the Desai Accelerator internship program.

Apply today:

Consideration timeline:

Application deadline: Sunday, February 1, 2026

First round interviews: mid-February

Second round interviews: early-mid March

Offers extended: End of March

Internship Term: June 1–August 21, 2026