Zooming into Medellín
By: Emily Grossarth, Huntsmans ’24
Emily hard at work.
Sempli – Medellin, Colombia
Over the course of the past two weeks, I have had the pleasure of interning for Sempli, the leading online lending platform for small businesses in Colombia. Although I have been conducting my internship from my childhood bedroom in New Jersey, the nature of the vibrant culture and welcoming people has been translated incredibly over Zoom, and could not be happier with my placement.
On my first day, I had a two-hour meeting with the CEO (who also happens to be my supervisor), where he taught me everything I needed to know about Sempli, and anything he missed was sent over to me to review to make sure I truly had a solid understanding of the company. After reviewing all necessary information regarding Sempli, we met again two days later where he assigned me my first project.
For the next week, I was to research markets, industries, key players, and conduct a PESTEL analysis on four Latin American countries to set the basis for Sempli’s plan of international expansion. Every two days, my supervisor and I had a check-in meeting where we would review my research and set a plan for the next two days. Not only did I have the opportunity to learn about the online business lending market in Colombia, but also that of four other Latin American countries and their corresponding political, economic, social, technological, environmental, and legal landscapes. My research culminated in a PowerPoint presentation, presenting my findings to lead the Sempli team into their next steps for internationalization.
Following my research, I moved onto my next project that centers around Sempli’s preparation for their Series B funding round. This past week, I have been working on a matrix that outlines Latin American Fintech companies and their corresponding investors.
In between my projects, I have had the opportunity to interact with different members of the Sempli team and throughout the process have only met incredibly friendly and welcoming people. This past Monday, I hopped on a zoom call with nearly the entire company where company goals and upcoming plans were outlined. I am not sure what I was expecting, but what I found was a group of incredibly passionate people who love what they do and truly believe in the mission of Sempli.
I have learned so much over the past two weeks and cannot wait to see what is in store for the upcoming six weeks.
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.