Kountable, San Francisco, CA
This summer, I worked as a marketing and business development intern at Kountable Inc., a B2B marketplace working to revolutionize trade. Kountable helps unlock trades that may otherwise not happen through capitalizing on trades for small- to medium-size enterprises and their contracts with large suppliers, so that they can fulfill their contracts with large “buyers.” For instance, when a small medical supplier in Rwanda had an order for malaria test kits from a hospital and wanted to buy from Abbott (a large medical products manufacturer) but didn’t have the liquidity to sustain the trade, Kountable capitalized on the opportunity and brought all the parties onto a digital marketplace.
I found the story and the purpose of Kountable to be compelling. I’m interested in working in social impact, but learning about Kountable illuminated an issue that I didn’t even know existed. Furthermore, I was perplexed by the fact that the money and the willingness to carry out a trade were present but just not in the right place at the right time. I was thrilled to have the opportunity to work at Kountable for the summer, so that I could help them maximize their impact.
I worked on social media posts promoting our Wefunder campaign (crowdfunded capital) and learned the ins and outs of social media for a company like Kountable. This is where I found the steepest learning curve, while I had the design skills necessary for social media marketing, I really had to learn how to craft meaningful content and stories for social media platforms.
I also worked to identify firms operating in the United States that we could possibly work with in the future. This was a really meaningful (and somewhat fun) project that meant looking for firms in the renewable energy/sustainability sphere. It was thrilling to find firms that were on the cutting edge of renewable energy and to learn about ways that Kountable could possibly help them.
This internship was a valuable experience for me and taught me a lot about general business skills. I noticed the ways that my Williams education has prepared me for any career: through using my critical thinking skills, I was able to quickly understand and apply myself in a new field that I had little previous experience in. I look forward to exploring a career in a startup focused on sustainable development. It felt exciting to be part of a company that was rapidly growing and to know my contributions create a lasting impact on both the company and the world. As I look ahead at a year studying abroad in Berlin, Germany, I know that my experience at Kountable will help me find new opportunities in sustainable development in the thriving startup scene in the city.
Overall, my Kountable internship was an invaluable experience that helped me explore an exciting new career opportunity. I would like to thank Mr. and Mrs. Case, as well as the ’68 Center for Career Exploration for their support with this tremendous opportunity.