This past summer, 25 Jiang Fellows completed domestic and international internships to gain experience at startup companies ranging from immunotherapy to artificial intelligence and even regenerative farming.

The 2026 Jiang Fellows are now back in Ithaca, NY, to share their experiences, tips, and favorite memories from their respective startup internships.

The Jiang Fellows program, rooted in Cornell Duffield College of Engineering, is open to all juniors at Cornell University who have a strong interest in entrepreneurship. The program allows students to travel and experience working at a startup in the summer between their junior and senior years, fully funded through the support of Dr. Tianyi (TJ) Jiang ’96, Ph.D.

The students networked with startups of interest in the spring of 2026 and finalized their internship choice in April. The cohort then enrolled in a 1-credit immersive course and a 3-credit co-requisite course in entrepreneurship to explore fundamental topics in entrepreneurship and help them prepare for a summer internship at a startup. In June, they began their internships, ready to acquire valuable skills, expand their networks, and explore their potential futures in entrepreneurship.

We spoke with three Jiang Fellows about their experiences:

Elie Ntakirutimana ‘27, a Global Development and Agricultural Sciences double major in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences interned at AgriCapture, a company that builds markets for regenerative rice farming and grassland management practices

Antranig Baghdassarian ‘27, a Biomedical Engineering major in the Duffield College of Engineering interned at LEADOPTIK, a company building a miniature imaging platform for minimally invasive procedures.

Isabel Chan ‘27, an Electrical and Computer Engineering major in the Duffield College of Engineering, interned at ATLANT 3D, a company building an advanced atomic-scale manufacturing platform that enables accelerated innovation of advanced electronics and emerging technologies.

What city was your internship located in and what was the coolest thing you experienced there?

Elie: My internship was located in Nashville, Tennessee. Nashville is a wonderful city with a vibrant social life and so many things to experience. One of the coolest experiences was going golfing with my team.

Antranig: San Jose, California, the capital of Silicon Valley! The coolest thing had to be the Exploratorium in San Francisco!

Isabel: ATLANT 3D is based in Copenhagen, Denmark. It was such an immersive experience living and working abroad. My daily commute was a combination of biking and taking the train. After work, I loved how easy it was to bike to a castle, palace, museum, or any of the other great sites Copenhagen has to offer. Biking here is no joke though; sometimes my ride to work feels like I’m competing in the Tour de Denmark.

How did the Jiang Fellows program help you prepare for your internship?

Elie: One of the most helpful parts was the sessions where Jiang Fellow alumni shared their experiences and advice on how to get the most out of the program. I remember their advice about communicating effectively, showing eagerness to take on new challenges, and holding yourself to high standards in the workplace.

Antranig: The program gave me the confidence to put myself out there for opportunities. I realized I was overestimating the rejection I would face; my emails were always received well and gave me proof that cold emailing works.

Isabel: With a world of opportunity, it’s a personal journey figuring out where you want to go. Throughout the program, I was constantly drawing from people’s experiences while developing my goals, connecting with companies, and during the internship itself. Being inspired by what our incredible group has been the best preparation to guide such a choose-your-own-adventure summer

Favorite part of your team/company?

Elie: My team at AgriCapture was like a family. Since it was my first time in Nashville, everyone made an effort to make sure I had the best experience possible. Beyond the wonderful mentorship they provided, my colleagues would give me recommendations every weekend about things I should and places I could visit. That made my transition to a new city much easier and made the internship experience even more enjoyable.

Antranig: The office I was in did not have dividers so nice conversations would randomly occur between a lot of us which made for fun memories.

Isabel: Everyone was so incredibly smart, collaborative, driven, kind, and very funny! Somedays at work felt like a sitcom.

Favorite office memory? 

Elie: I really enjoyed the tradition of office lunch every other Tuesday. It was a great opportunity to step away from work, catch up with everyone across the organization, and get to know people I might not have interacted with regularly.

Antranig: I got to see an investor meeting which was so cool!

Isabel: I worked on the Applications team at ATLANT 3D with engineers and scientists carrying out customer projects with our technology. I remember my first meeting with them where everyone shared and got feedback on their project’s progress, and having this overwhelming feeling of awe and excitement for our technology and what it enables. In the meeting I saw an incredible range of projects from AI materials discovery, optics, solar cells, sensors, space systems, and even luxury products.

Best piece of advice for future Jiang Fellows?

Elie: When you start your internship, say yes to everything, as long as it is something that contributes to the company in one way or another. Be willing to step outside your defined responsibilities and take on new challenges. That is how you build trust, consistency, and reliability, which are key to making the most of every opportunity you are given.  

Antranig: Use your resources. Alex Hagen (our program director), your advisor, the rest of the Jiang Fellow team is here to help! 

Isabel: Make the absolute most out of this experience, you can take it as far as you can dream – to Denmark even! Take the time to talk to all the people the program has to offer. The people you connect with at companies are a great resource, don’t be afraid to ask them for advice. Come up with concrete goals of what you want to get out of the experience and allow those goals to evolve or change. It’s a journey! Explore something you’ve always wanted to do even if it’s outside of your major or past experiences. The safety net and authority over what you can do is unprecedented, so be bold! Boldness is a valuable quality in entrepreneurship as well. 

If you could go back in time to before you started your internship, what advice would you give yourself? 

Elie: I would tell myself that I am going to make mistakes, no matter how well I perform. I would remind myself that feedback from my manager is part of the learning process and is meant to help me improve. Later during the internship, there were times when I received critical feedback and initially it was difficult to hear. It sometimes hurt my ego. Over time I learned how to use that feedback to my advantage. I became more comfortable with criticism and learned to see it not as a reflection of my abilities, but as an opportunity to improve.  

Antranig: Shoot your shot, you are there to learn, the worst they can say is no and even that is more data for you and shows your enthusiasm. Interns get lots of leeway which may not be there with a full-time job so use that to your advantage! Ask the crazy question, offer yourself for opportunities; at least you tried. Also wear extra sunscreen on that 50 mi bike trip. 

Isabel: Make sure you have a clear set of goals for the internship and think about what unique experiences you could only get at your company and as a Jiang Fellow. Let your work evolve organically but also check in, reflect regularly on your time, and see how you can advocate for experiences you want. Don’t be afraid to speak up and steer the work towards your goals; that is the point of the program! Connect with your peers on how their internships are going, share what you’ve learned, and get inspired. 

What is one skill you grew that you did not expect to?  

Elie: Flexibility. At a startup, I learned that there is a North Star and there are bigger goals, but most of the time, there might not be a clearly defined pathway for achieving them. You have to try different approaches, learn from what works and what does not, and find the most effective way forward. I learned to pay attention to the market/emerging trends and adjust my work accordingly. I came to understand how critical adaptability is to the success of an organization. 

Antranig: Not being scared of “no” as an answer. In other words: injecting myself into what I think are awkward moments for the love of the game.  

Isabel: I became a lot better at embracing discomfort. The ambiguity about where you’ll end up in the summer can be really daunting at first. I was proud that once I understood the main goals of what I wanted to do with this opportunity and I was able to push through the stress and uncertainties of everything else. In doing that, I gained confidence in my ability to figure it out along the way, which makes intimidating goals seem more achievable. This mindset is especially important in startups when there isn’t a perfect path forward and needing to pivot at some point is a given.

Tell us about a time when a problem arose at your internship and how you were able to solve it! 

Elie: At one point, we realized that PR and marketing were areas where the company was falling behind. Since we did not have a dedicated marketing department at the time, I stepped up and began working on marketing initiatives and reaching out to PR firms. Later, when a new marketing intern joined the team, we worked together on several marketing initiatives and made significant progress in the company’s marketing efforts. One of the outcomes was identifying a marketing firm to help redesign the company’s website. It was rewarding to see how taking initiative in an area that needed attention could create a meaningful impact. 

Isabel: My project spanned materials science, engineering, and product design, so I was coming up with little problems and questions across many fields. It was amazing being able to walk to people in our R&D, software, or engineering groups and ask for their expertise. I really enjoyed and utilized our multidisciplinary environment. 

How did your internship impact your career trajectory? 

Elie: During my internship, I discovered the beauty of building something from the ground up, thinking like a visionary, and contributing to the growth of a company. Learning more about startup growth opened my eyes and made me seriously consider building a startup as a potential career path. Before this internship, I saw starting a company as a difficult and uncertain decision. Now, I have a much deeper appreciation for the process and understand why it can be so rewarding. I had never seriously considered entrepreneurship as a career path before, but after this experience, I am much more inclined to pursue it.  

Antranig: This internship confirmed my desire to go for a PhD; I had the opportunity to go to a biomedical engineering conference (my bread and butter as a biomedical engineer) during this internship. Meeting the people there, alongside hearing discussions between the CEO and CTO who both have technical PhDs, confirmed that this is something I want to do. 

Isabel: This internship solidified my love for the energy and environment of a startup. I will seek out roles with greater breadth, where I can exercise both my technical and non-technical skills. I’ve enjoyed contributing to a company in many different ways. I’ve gained an appreciation for the parts of a technology company beyond engineering, where I can use my technical background to contribute in ways I hadn’t previously considered. Working at a deep tech startup was inspiring, and I hope to keep with me the belief that science fiction can become factwhen we are bold enough to make it real. 

What is your proudest accomplishment from your internship? 

Elie: One of the things I am most proud of is the fundraising deck I built for the company to support its fundraising efforts. Beyond the specific work I completed, however, I am most proud of how I went beyond my predetermined responsibilities. I was willing to identify areas where I could contribute, step up, and take ownership even when something was not explicitly part of my role. I believe that mindset allowed me to make a much greater impact on the organization. 

Antranig: I was tasked with improving a model in CAD and after many 3D prints, modifications, asking senior engineers when stuck, it looks beautiful. I used at least 5 new skills on that model, and I’m happy how well it came out. 

Isabel: I am most proud of how I took initiative to mold my internship and get the breadth of experiences I was hoping for. I got to work directly with our core technology and build a system to support application projects, but I also learned a lot about the operations and strategy of the company and explored the marketing side. I am happy with the relationships I built. I think I’velaughed with everyone in the company and despite only being here for a short amount of time, I felt like I was a part of the community. 

Elie, you originally said, “I hope to learn from like-minded peers who share my curiosity and enthusiasm for innovation, and to gain insight from entrepreneurs who are shaping the future across different industries.” Reflect on this? Did it happen?   

Yes, absolutely. One of my main goals going into my internship was to learn from the founders and leaders of the company. I had the opportunity to learn directly from Tyler, AgriCapture’sCEO, who constantly challenged me to think about innovation, new products, and how the company could become a leader in the climate space. He included me in that vision and encouraged me to contribute ideas for new product lines and market opportunities. Through that experience, I not only learned from an entrepreneur shaping the future of the industry, but I also had the opportunity to help shape that vision myself.  

Antranig: You originally said “Through this program I hope to get a better understanding of what I want to do in industry and by the end, learn what I want to work towards through wearing many hats that is accustomed to startups.” Reflect on this? Did it happen? 

Yes! There were solo projects that, in a bigger company, would be given to a group of people to take care of. In my solo projects, I got to wear many hats in regard to different aspects of that project. That has helped me narrow down what roles I want to go for in the future. For the opportunities I didn’t get to try out, coffee chatting with the current person in that role was still helpful!  

Isabel: You originally said you hoped to have “the chance to explore unique companies, an understanding of how innovative technology and strategic business enable each other in a startup, connections with peers and mentors, and the confidence to start my own venture one day.” Reflect on this? Did it happen? 

100%. Working at ATLANT 3D has been the perfect blend of engineering and entrepreneurship. It is exactly the kind of deep tech I was interested in. The fact that our core technology can be applied in so many different ways means that I’ve learned the decision making behind what avenue we chose to focus on in the present, the scoping that needs to occur, and evolve, in any deep tech startup. Engineering and entrepreneurial goals are often conflicting priorities, so it’s been an invaluable experience seeing the balance and the outcomes of such compromises. I am very fulfilled with the people who have helped me along this journey, the fellows I’ve connected with (I’ve overlapped with a couple all the way in Copenhagen!), and my relationships with my coworkers. I’ve also learned so much from their backgrounds, both entrepreneurial and technical. In terms of confidence, I’m definitely a lot more comfortable taking on big unknowns after this program. Before what I lacked was courage and after overcoming that, it is a commitment to those goals that helps push you forward. 

Interested in learning more about the Jiang Fellows program? Students can register for the upcoming information session on Wednesday, October 7, from 4-5 pm ET. Or visit the Jiang Fellows website for more information and to apply!