A world where anyone can access real work as a form of education
Extern’s mission is to help anyone discover and launch their career through professional experiences, available anywhere, at any time. We made this possible by inventing a new form of work experience with integrated learning – the remote Externship.
By design, the Externship was created to impact a universe of learners and organizations. To students, Externships are structured work experiences that are flexible and accessible. To companies, the Externship acts as a structured program that provides them with expert-led project teams doing meaningful work without the burden of the staffing, setup, and support. And to higher ed, Externships can be the work experience component to the curriculum meant to boost student job outcomes post graduation.
Extern is backed by Foundation Capital, University Ventures, Learn Capital, Y Combinator and Jason Calacanis’ Launch Fund.
Why Externships
It’s a question we get asked a lot.
At Extern, we’re pioneering a new approach to work and learning, and we invite you to join us in establishing a best practice for transitioning student learners to professionals. We see Externships as a critical bridge between academic learning and professional achievement, fostering upward economic mobility.
Externships are an innovative way to gain work experience offering a unique alternative to traditional internships.
Here's why they stand out:
Flexible duration
Unlike internships that often last an entire summer or season, Externships are shorter. This allows participants to explore multiple opportunities and career paths within the same timeframe.
Equitable access
Externships aim to provide work experience to everyone, not just the few who land competitive internships. They're designed to be more inclusive, breaking down barriers to professional development.
Key benefits
For Students
Externships offer a chance to gain relevant work experience, explore various career options, and develop new skills without the long-term commitment required by internships. This makes it easier to build a compelling resume in a competitive job market.
For Companies
Externs and projects are managed by our professional team so companies expend less resources on training and support, while ensuring they get expert-curated output and insights.
For Higher Ed
Externships help institutions produce more gainfully employed graduates. They guarantee that students will have competitive resumes by completing real work experiences as a part of their degree programs.
An Externship defined
An Externship is a structured real work experience with integrated learning. We created the remote Externship to be an educational work experience, where a cohort of participants completes a project with the guidance of experts, while earning a credential.
Real-world projects
Instead of academic projects, students work on real-world projects that get leveraged real-time supporting companies’ product growth and strategy in a streamlined experience.
Managed expertise
We handle everything from setting project goals to student recruitment, training, answering student questions, and student feedback — ensuring companies have efficient project execution through our platform.
Time-saving curation
Companies receive only the best student output and insights, carefully selected to complement their team's core efforts without the hassle of sifting through subpar work.
Proven track record
We've managed over 20,000 student externs on significant projects for global brands. We have experience delivering a seamless and rewarding process for both companies (81 NPS) and students (71 NPS).
MIT grad (Comp Sci & Eng + Mgmt). Ex-Morgan Stanley, TCV. Co-founded e-comm marketplace AHAlife (raised $23M then merged). 20 yrs in edtech, e-comm, finance.
Founder & CEO
Matt Wilkerson
Ex-VP of Product at ClassPass, SVP Product at CLEAR. 20+ yrs in startup ops, product management, technology, mentoring & leadership. UPenn alum.
Chief Product & Technology Officer
Justin Chang
Entrepreneur and 13+ yrs in strategy, consulting, startups & operations. Formerly at Aquila Institute, Brazil. MBA from Questrom School of Business, Boston University.
Vice President of Operations
Rodolfo Penna
Ex-COO at Vendition, Co-founder at TopBots. 10+ yrs in GTM. Amazon best-selling author; recognized by INC, Entrepreneur as a top speaker in applied AI. Northwestern Uni alum.
Head of Growth and Partnerships
Marlene Jia
Former Portfolio Manager, Millenium. Previous roles at Credit Suisse and Lehman Brothers. 17+ years in hedge funds, banking & financial services industry.
Senior Director of Partnerships
Mike Eng
15+ yrs of student dev, program management & DEI access initiatives. Former TRiO Director at Hampton Uni. ABD, Ed.D from UIUC
Director of Student Operations
LaRae Snoddy
10 yrs in product, ops, strategy, growth marketing, comms & advertising. Ex-Google, Teach for India. M.Sc from University of St. Andrews, United Kingdom.
Director of Learning and Development
Madhura Padwal
10 yrs in ops, management, customer experience. Ex-VP Customer Relations at BlaBlaCar, France. Customer Experience keynote speaker. EMLYON Business School alum.
Director of Operations
Elina Roetynck
10+ yrs in marketing, education & edtech. Expert in Channels Cooperation, Strategic Dev across Mainland China, US, UK & Australia. Beijing Foreign Studies University alum.
Asia Partner
Bifei Wang
Ex- Portfolio Manager & Social Entrepreneur. Ex-Executive Director at UBS. 20+ yrs in asset management, finance, nonprofit & startup ops. Princeton alum.
Business Development Director
PJ Woo
Former Director, KPMG. Digital transformation expert with a strategic consulting background. 11+ yrs serving US & global financial services clients.
Sr. Engagement Manager
Monika Chadda
Entrepreneur, builder, & operator. 12+ years of experience scaling startup and nonprofit operations. Former COO of New City Kids.
