By Ananya Gambhiraopet

The Center for Regional Economic Advancement (CREA) at Cornell University is a division of Research & Innovation that works to fuel economic growth and diversity through entrepreneurship and innovation in Ithaca and greater upstate New York. Achieving this mission would not be possible without the team of strong student interns that operate behind the scenes to help CREA achieve its goals. 

With CREA supporting over 20 programs that empower people to start and grow new ventures, the relationship between the division and its interns is mutually beneficial. CREA’s interns, the majority of which are enrolled at Cornell and Ithaca College, gain hands-on experience in their field of choice and CREA is able to make an even greater impact in supporting individuals on their entrepreneurial journeys. 

From the fall of 2022 to the present day, CREA’s diverse team of 41 interns have worked across multiple functions, including events, hardware, marketing and communications, and programs and operations. Read on to learn more about this talented group and the work they are doing to advance CREA’s mission. 

Events: 

CREA holds various events year-round that vary in scale and industry. The event interns support the execution of these events, both virtual and in-person. Events range from virtual information sessions to 150+ in-person speaker events such as Networking Nights at Rev: Ithaca Startup Works and the Grow-NY Summit. The interns aid in event preparation, staffing, logistics, and planning and play a huge role in creating a seamless event experience. CREA’s events interns have included: 

• Yaa Achampong, M.Eng. ‘24, Cornell 
• Sabrina Khaleque ‘25, Communications, Cornell 
• Maralmaa Munkh-Achit, M.P.A. ‘23, Cornell 
• Ricky Palacio, M. Eng. ‘23, Cornell 
• Max Speiser ‘24, Economics, Binghamton University  
• Sophia Wang ‘26, Hotel Administration, Cornell 
• Yaran Zhuang, M.P.A. ‘24, Cornell 
• Ying Zuo, M.Eng. ‘22, Cornell 

“It has been a great opportunity to work on impactful events and programs such as Grow-NY and the Northeastern Dairy Product Innovation Competition,” said Max Speiser, Binghamton University ‘24. Speiser’s advice for future CREA interns is “To put their best foot forward and help out wherever possible, especially on the events team.” 

Hardware: 

The hardware intern team consists of mechanical engineers, electrical engineers, and product designers. They work with early-stage hardware startups across industries such as ag and climate tech and assist with ideation, prototyping, and design for manufacturing. Based on the company and the product, the hardware team also helps with all aspects of product development. CREA’s hardware interns have included: 

• Jonas Funk ‘24, Electrical and Computer Engineering, Cornell 
• Colin Muessig ‘25, Electrical Engineering, Cornell  
• Caleb Schlissel ‘25, Mechanical Engineering, Cornell 
• Jacob Tamor ‘24, Electrical and Computer Engineering, Cornell  
• Bruno Tassari ‘22, Mechanical Engineering, Cornell 
• Danyaal Tayyabkhan, M.Eng. ‘24, Mechanical Engineering, Cornell  
• Elise Vergos ‘24, Mechanical Engineering, Cornell  
• Eli Vicarte, M.Eng. ‘23, Mechanical Engineering, Cornell 
• Kiranmayi Yenduri, M.S. ‘23, Human Centered Design, Cornell 

For Kiranmayi Yenduri, M.S. ‘23, “Each week brought a new project and a fresh challenge to overcome.” Yenduri stated that “the breadth and depth of the projects were extensive” and “as an intern, [she] had the opportunity to grasp user and business objectives, contribute to strategy, advance hardware prototypes, conduct testing, and design packaging, apps, and information brochures.”  

Yenduri’s advice for future interns is “To embrace the flexibility of your role. Don’t hesitate to explore new responsibilities, seek guidance when necessary, and make sure to delve into all the books at Rev: Ithaca Startup Works.” Additionally, Yenduri shares that “Rev director Ken Rother is always open to lending books from his personal library, which includes some fascinating reads on hardware engineering and product management.” 

Marketing and Communications: 

CREA’s marketing and communications interns are responsible for creating promotional materials such as feature stories, press releases, graphics, social media content, and more for CREA’s events and programs. This past summer, the interns consulted with and provided marketing material for the Rev: Ithaca Startup Works 2023 Summer Prototyping Hardware Accelerator. CREA’s marketing and communications interns have included: 

• Ananya Gambhiraopet ‘24, Communication Management and Design, Ithaca College 
• Hannah Gard-Wise ‘23, Communication Management and Design, Ithaca College 
• Amy Milner ‘23, Creative Writing and Graphic Design, Binghamton University 
• Meredith Robbins ‘23, Integrated Marketing Communications, Ithaca College 
• Nina Singh ‘24, Business Administration with a concentration in Marketing and Sports Marketing, Ithaca College 
• Derek Slywka ‘23, Sports Media and Communication, Ithaca College 
• Paige Tolan ‘24, Television and Digital Media Production, Ithaca College 

“Working at CREA has been such a valuable experience,” said Derek Slywka, Ithaca College ’23. “There have been so many different assignments I have completed that have pushed me to develop and improve upon my skills in the field.”  

Slywka’s advice to future marketing interns is to “Take advantage of the willingness of the marketing team to help you learn new things. Everyone on the marketing team is supportive and helpful when it comes to your internship experience. Overall, it’s a fun environment to work in every day!” 

Programs and Operations: 

Interns and graduate assistants who work with the programs and operations team focus on a variety of different projects across CREA programs. Past projects and tasks include drafting letters of support, data clean up, and communication with program participants. Many are Cornell students in the Cornell Jeb E. Brooks School of Public Policy. CREA’s programs and operations interns have included: 

• Caled Al-Adsani, M.P.A. ‘25, Cornell 
• Jenifer Bustamente, M.P.A. ‘24, Cornell  
• Grant Ewing, M.P.A. ‘23, Cornell 
• Anselmo Farrell ‘24, Legal Studies, Ithaca College  
• Chang Ge, M.P.A. ‘23, Cornell 
• Ava Giaquinto ‘23, Communications, Villanova University  
• Ayushi Kapoor, M.P.A. ‘25, Cornell 
• Sam Kline ‘24, Finance, Ithaca College 
• Clara Lee, M.P.A. ‘23, Cornell 
• Irene Li, M.P.A. ‘25, Cornell  
• Harshita Maheshwari, M.P.A. ‘24, Cornell  
• Rebecca McPettit, M.P.A. ‘23, Cornell  
• Aodong Mei, M.P.A. ‘24, Cornell  
• Shipra Mishra, M.P.A. ‘24, Cornell  
• Mollie Montague, M.P.A. ‘24, Cornell  
• Emiriana Stanishja, M.P.A. ‘24, Cornell  
• Jingni Zhang, M.P.A. ‘23, Cornell  
• Yiming Zhong, M.P.A. ‘24, Cornell 

“It’s a wonderful opportunity to apply my skills and knowledge to complex problems, as well as improve my ability to communicate,” said Aodong Mei, M.P.A ‘24. “I frequently collaborate with other assistants to perform calendar management, coordinate regional courses, analyze data, and draft reports.”  

Mei’s advice for future interns is to “Try more courses in different disciplines to better prepare for future work.” 

Interested in interning for CREA? Follow our LinkedIn page to be the first to know about open internships. 

This article was written by CREA marketing and communications intern Ananya Gambhiraopet.