TEC 2015: Apply now!

While next June seems like a long way away to us, college students are now adding to their already busy schedules as they begin evaluating opportunities for summer employment in 2015. To that end, we’re excited to announce that we are now accepting applications for the True Entrepreneur Corps (TEC), our summer startup fellowship program.

Among many annual traditions here at True, TEC is one with a long history. In January 2009, we set out to create the venture industry’s first summer fellowship program for college students interested in entrepreneurship. We envisioned a program through which talented students would have access to amazing summer opportunities at startups that otherwise would have been practically impossible to find, and our companies would benefit from the able assistance of this group of students. This coming June, as we welcome our seventh class of TEC Fellows to San Francisco, many elements of the program have evolved significantly. But, at its core, the TEC mission remains unchanged: in our ecosystem led by dreamers and doers, we believe that the best way for students to understand the startup experience isn’t to read about it, but instead to spend a summer at a startup, being actively involved at a rapidly growing company and feeling—and making—the magic firsthand.

TEC Fellows spend 10 weeks working with True portfolio companies in the San Francisco area on projects that really matter. They wireframe and create new products that will be used by tens, if not hundreds, of millions of people. They chase down BD leads to help small companies create transformational partnerships. They attend tradeshows and events to interact with customers and drive adoption for new ideas.

The hands-on work at a startup is only part of the TEC experience, however. The other element of the program that may be just as important in the long run is the opportunity Fellows have to work with, live with and build deep relationships with the other members of the 12-person class. The group meets weekly on a formal basis in the True office in San Francisco for a speaker and workshop series, and gathers informally most evenings during the summer. As one of our Fellows wrote to us this past August, “The best part of TEC was getting to know the Fellows. I’ve developed friendships with many of the Fellows that I know will last a long time.” Having a peer group to bounce ideas off of late into the night, to create weekend adventures with, and to otherwise share in the excitement of a summer startup experience has been phenomenal for those who have come through TEC.

More information about the program, including all application materials and requirements, can be found on the TEC website. Many of our best referrals to prospective applicants have come via word of mouth, so if you are reading this post now, we encourage you to share it with students in your network. Our first application was submitted barely 9 hours into the application period, and we can’t wait to see the other talented applicants who may join us in San Francisco to make TEC 2015 our best summer yet.