Coming into the Ellery Partners internship I had no idea what to expect. Prior to applying, I didn’t have any familiarity with a search fund, let alone what the goal of one was. So I did my research, became educated on the topic, and realized Ellery was providing an incredible opportunity for me to develop my professional skills. Alongside a group of highly motivated and capable interns, I already feel my network expanding and my connections growing. Jalen (my boss) has been welcoming throughout the entire process and has led the group in a way where I already feel connected to all my co-workers. Whether it’s our daily scrum or a training session, Jalen seeks to allow all of us interns to become acquainted with each other. He consistently makes sure each one of us understands the task at hand and how to complete it, and no question is a bad one. Throughout the short two weeks, I’ve had the chance to learn about a large variety of industries and the metrics used to analyze them. I’ve been able to research industries that are personally interesting to me and become educated by my co-workers on industries I’ve never heard of. For example, this week I’ve been able to learn about the pet wearables industry, and no not costumes for your dog and cat, but actual software that tracks your pets location, heart rate, calories burned, etc. I’ve been introduced to platforms used to source companies and individuals that are more efficient than I could ever imagine. Last Sunday (optional session), I was able to gain insight from Orlando (my other boss) about private equity and the specific elements of the capital structure. Orlando was extremely thorough when explaining the different layers of the capital structure and would not move on to another topic until all participants understood each layer. Both, Jalen and Orlando, are doing their best to allow each intern to gain as much as they can from this experience and it shows in each session. I feel my presentation and pitching skills improving rapidly as each pitch I perform is met with in-depth feedback. I’m excited to continue to learn under Jalen and Orlando and help them in their search for the perfect company to acquire.
