Life at Livelo
By: Neel Jain, Wharton ’26
Neel with fellow interns.
GRIP: Business in Sydney
Eager to begin my first day of work at Livelo, I exited my train stop at Wynyard and slowly made my way to 11 York St to discover my office – The Startup Hub. My boss, Peter, would speak highly of this 11 story coworking space that had beautiful facilities, many other driven entrepreneurs, and weekly pitch events.
At this point, I had no idea what to expect. I stood there with my fellow intern waiting until my boss had arrived. I was expecting to get right to work but instead our boss, very friendly and approachable, made us some coffee and took us out to lunch. We even left our backpacks behind unattended. Immediately, I felt a difference in the work culture in Australia being much more friendly, relaxed, and chill.
As a product management intern of Livelo, a global bike rental startup, I was given a unique project to help with the pre-launch of a new product, almost creating a new company. This company is called ProRides, and aims to be a unique marketplace connecting cycling fans with ex-professional cyclists for special in-person rides and experiences. As someone strongly interested in entrepreneurship and startups, I was thrilled with the opportunity to explore a new idea.
Throughout the course of the internship, my main tasks were to craft a pitch deck for the startup, research potential customers & athletes, and help acquire the first few ex-professionals that would join the platform. Looking back on my experiences, I’ve found that my boss Peter at Livelo has given me a new perspective on doing business.
Much of the time I spent with Peter was on lunches, casual conversations, and over the phone. In one instance, we got lunch with his friend Mike, a former SBS commentator covering the World Cup and Tour de France. Mike would later serve as a key network having known many professional athletes that could join the ProRides platform. Fast forward a few weeks, one of Mike’s friends, Graeme, an Australian former professional cyclist, replied and was eager to get involved with the company. We had landed our first customer!
The last day of work wrapped up with Peter picking us up and giving us a tour of Centennial Park with a 4 mile bike ride followed by lunch at a special dim sum restaurant. As I was biking through the lush green park of Sydney struggling to keep up with Peter, all I could think about was my fond appreciation toward the novel experiences that would define my experience in Sydney.
Coming into my internship in Sydney, I would’ve never thought that I would’ve been involved in the pre-launch of a new sports startup, go biking with my Australian boss, or get lunch with a former commentator. By the end of the internship, it felt as if my boss was a great friend. The work didn’t feel like work, but rather exploring a new project I had passion for. I learned to let go of the traditional go-go-go and hustle mentality I’d bring to a job. Livelo and Australia’s chill way of life taught me the beauty of doing what you love with people you love, something I hope to continue discovering in my future life experiences.
The Global Research and Internship Program (GRIP) provides outstanding undergraduate and graduate students the opportunity to intern or conduct research abroad for 8 to 12 weeks over the summer. Participants gain career-enhancing experience and global exposure that is essential in a global workforce.