EDU-Turn E-Commerce Internship

Learn by Doing – Work Side by Side with Faculty E-Commerce Entrepreneurs

The David Eccles School of Business is more than a place of learning; it is a place of doing. Our faculty believe that students learn best when classroom education is combined with real-world business experience. In pursuit of the realization of this vision, the Eccles School has established a partnership with EDU-Turn, a Utah-based company specializing in teaching e-commerce acquisition and business management skills to university students via a hands-on internship experience. Through this partnership, Eccles School students have the opportunity to earn class credit and stock options while learning the ins and outs of running an online business.

Student associates work side-by-side with faculty entrepreneurs to manage a portfolio of e-commerce properties and are directly involved in the day to day operations of the company. No aspect of the business is off limits to our student associates, and they are expected to actually solve business problems themselves rather than merely look over someone else’s shoulder.

About the Program

EDU-Turn’s mission is to provide students with opportunities to learn and develop business execution skills by working on real-world e-commerce acquisitions. In order to meet the educational objectives of the company, EDU-Turn is building a portfolio of established and profitable e-commerce websites through acquisition. EDU-Turn’s operations are governed by the principle that the company exists to provide a teaching platform. The company does not seek to make a quick profit by flipping websites. Rather it buys wisely, improves efficiency and holds for the long-term the websites that it acquires.

EDU-Turn’s appetite for growth is determined by three primary factors:

  1. The ability of student associates to successfully manage the existing portfolio of web properties
  2. The capacity of student associates to take on additional acquisitions and integrations
  3. The ability of the company to identify and successfully acquire properties which will both increase the profitability of the company and afford students associates with unique and beneficial learning experiences.

Mentoring

As EDU-Turn associates, students receive weekly mentoring and teaching from company executives and Eccles School faculty. EDU-Turn associates are trained in the various disciplines involved with business mergers and acquisitions including due diligence, corporate finance, contract negotiation, technology transfer, business integration, technology management, business operations, marketing management and analytics.

Real-World Experience

As part of the program, students work in teams to evaluate new acquisition targets and manage an existing portfolio of properties. No aspect of the business is off limits, and student associates are expected to work to solve business problems themselves rather than merely following the lead of more experienced executives. Students will identify and evaluate acquisition candidates, conduct due diligence on acquisition targets, integrate acquisitions onto a standardized transaction platform, enhance the performance of acquired websites, monitor the performance of portfolio websites and develop a strategy for extracting synergy across the portfolio.

Leadership Opportunity

Although the faculty leaders will initially take on many of the core business functions, the ultimate goal is to teach students to assume responsibility for nearly all of the day-to-day functions of the websites. Outgoing students are also responsible for training and preparing incoming students to take over their responsibilities each semester.

Stock Options

One of the unique aspects of this internship program is student ownership. All student associates who successfully complete an EDU-Turn internship receive stock options in EDU-Turn. Stock options provide financial benefits and ongoing learning opportunities for our students via board observation rights and more. Stock options are awarded at the beginning of each semester in which a student participates, and vest at the end of the semester. Vesting requirements and details are included in the financial disclosures provided to students as part of the on-boarding process each semester.

EDU-Turn’s aim is not only to ensure the continued viability and growth of the portfolio of properties under management, but also to use the company as a platform for teaching entrepreneurial execution to students. EDU-Turn associates assist in all aspects of deal flow including identifying and evaluating acquisition candidates, conducting due diligence on acquisition targets, integrating acquisitions onto a standardized transaction platform, enhancing the performance of acquired websites, monitoring the performance of portfolio websites and developing a strategy for extracting synergy across the portfolio.

Key responsibilities of student associates include:

  • Supporting the merger and acquisition investment and execution process via market analysis, target identification, deal negotiation, due diligence and integration
  • Researching and analyzing industries, companies, technologies and business models
  • Conducting extensive research into the size, growth and direction of potential markets
  • Compiling, analyzing and assimilating historical and projected financial information for new and established acquisitions
  • Creating financial projections to support decision making
  • Conducting supply chain research and help to negotiate business relationships with new suppliers
  • Analyzing sales data and developing models to optimize profitability
  • Managing the integration of portfolio properties onto a standardized technology platform
  • Managing and enhancing data assets (product, social, customer, etc.)
  • Enhancing security procedures and methods
  • Manage regulatory compliance (PCI, CAN-SPAM, etc.).

Undergraduate Student Requirements

Undergraduate students must have completed at least two of the following classes prior to the date of application. Students must have earned a B or better grade in all completed classes from this list.

  • ACCTG 3600 or 3601 (Principles of Accounting)
  • FINAN 3040 or 3041 (Financial Management)
  • IS 4410 or 4411 (Information Systems)
  • MKTG 3010 or 3011 (Principles of Marketing)

Graduate Student Requirements

Any student who is enrolled in a graduate program at the Eccles School and has completed 9 or more credit hours is eligible to apply.

Class Requirement

At least one of the admitted students each semester must have completed either IS 4420 or IS 6420 (Database Theory and Design).

Time Commitment

The EDU-Turn internship requires a minimum time commitment of 15 hours per week, including classroom time.

Application Process

Participation in the EDU-Turn internship program is limited to 6 students per semester during the fall, spring and summer semesters of the 2017-2018 academic year. Students will be selected to participate via a competitive application process. A selection committee appointed by the Eccles School interviews and selects all finalists for the program. Students are chosen to participate at the sole discretion of the selection committee.

Course Registration Requirements

All students selected to participate in the EDU-Turn internship program are required to register for academic credit under the Business Student Internship Program (BSIP). A separate section of the BSIP course (BUS 5880) available only to EDU-Turn associates has been created for this purpose. All students must register for 3 credit hours during each semester in which they participate in the program. Course registration is required of all students (no exceptions).

Required Application Materials

The online application will ask you to submit:

  • Current resume
  • Unofficial transcripts from any and all institutions attended
  • Contact information for 3 references
  • Essay responding to the below prompt in 500 words or less:
    • What do you hope to gain from participation in the EDU-Turn internship program?
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