By Anna Truss
Editor’s note: Applications for the LaunchTN Summer 2026 Intern Program are open Nov. 17 through Jan. 30 for host companies and Nov. 17 through Feb. 13 for students. Don’t miss your chance to be a part of this program. Learn more details and apply.
Since its inception, Launch Tennessee’s Summer Intern Program has made 444 intern placements at 126 unique host companies. Now, 12 years into the program, momentum has only grown with a record number of applications submitted for this year’s cohort.
There’s strong demand to expand the program and deliver even greater impact for Tennessee students and companies.
By the numbers – summer 2025
575 intern applications
85 host company applications
52 talented interns placed
44 host companies participated
23 Tennessee counties represented
Our team was excited to offer both virtual professional development opportunities to the student cohort, as well as an in-person Summer Summit, which happened at the Nashville Entrepreneur Center, thanks to our kind partners there.
Virtual Professional Development Opportunities
- How to build a portfolio of your work workshop
- Venture Capital 101 workshop
- Mock interviews
- Resume review
Summer Summit Highlights
- Complimentary headshots
- How to determine & negotiate your starting salary workshop
- How to build a LinkedIn profile workshop
- Entrepreneur Success Stories panel
- Networking, networking, networking!
After a successful and exciting summer full of new connections and impact, 42% of interns extended their roles with host companies to continue on in the fall, keeping and maintaining high quality talent in Tennessee.
Each internship has a unique impact on both the host company and the intern.
Chattanooga’s Proof Incubator has participated in the Summer Intern Program for the past three summers.
“This internship program enables companies to collaborate with students who are actively interested in both learning and contributing to your company’s work and ethos,” Kaleena Goldsworthy said. “Every intern we’ve brought on through this program has stayed with our company beyond the summer.”
Long time Summer Intern Program participant Yaya Scientific hosted two interns during summer 2025.
“Interning at Yaya Scientific was an incredible experience that pushed me outside of my comfort zone while also making me feel like a true collaborator,” R&D Software Engineering intern Hannah Bhattacharya said. “What stood out most was the mentorship and team culture — everyone encouraged me to ask questions, share ideas, and problem-solve creatively. The fast-paced startup environment taught me how to adapt quickly and reinforced my excitement about being part of innovation that translates from vision to impact in healthcare.”
Her experience exemplifies the opportunities the program creates for students. It’s real-world experience with quality support. Yaya Scientific extended Hannah’s internship through the fall and hired its other intern full-time as a Project Engineer.
As the leader of a new startup, Adele Health CEO Mark Norton took the chance to apply to host an intern. With the support of the partial stipend from LaunchTN to help with pay, Mark hired Yoshi Saito as a hardware engineering intern. After a great summer, Adele Health extended Yoshi’s internship into the fall.
“The stipend really unlocked a door for us that has pushed us forward,” Mark said. “Seems small but had a huge impact.”
FoundersForge, an entrepreneur support organization located in the Tri-Cities, has participated in the program for the past three summers. FoundersForge Executive Director David Nelson and Marketing Intern Emma Ayala created testimonial videos to share the impact the program had for them this summer. Hear from a host company and their intern in their own words:
David’s Testimonial of the LTN Program
Emma’s Testimonial of the LTN Program
“This internship gave me the opportunity to create real impact, growing our audience, building valuable partnerships, and gaining hands-on skills that I’ll carry into my career. The support, clear communication, and inspiring environment made it an unforgettable experience.” —Emma Ayala, FoundersForge intern 2025
Applications for the LaunchTN Summer 2026 Intern Program are open Nov. 17 through Jan. 30 for companies and Nov. 17 through Feb. 13 for students. Don’t miss your chance to be a part of this program. Learn more details and apply.