Technology Commercialization Advisor / Consultant

SBTDC’s MBA Technology Commercialization Summer Consulting Program

Each summer, the North Carolina Small Business and Technology Development Center (SBTDC) offers consulting opportunities to 1st year MBA students from select universities in North Carolina.  2026 marks the 25th anniversary of this program over which time 220 interns and over 400 clients have participated.  

The SBTDC’s Graduate Technology Commercialization Summer Consulting Program links you with early-stage, high-innovation firms that can benefit from specialized hands-on business skills and expertise to help their ventures advance to the next level. Technologies represented in these clients can include biotech, ag, IoT, software, engineering, medical devices, pharma, environmental, energy and more.  

You will have the support of the SBTDC’s Technology Commercialization Services team throughout the program through one-on-one mentoring and group meetings as you provide valuable business assistance to these clients.  You will also have the change to connect with and learn from your fellow interns from universities across the state.  Client connectivity over the course of the internship will be robust.

As part of the 11-week internship program, you will have the opportunity to work with one or two North Carolina clients to assist in the development of a detailed commercialization plan, including analysis and recommendations.   

Typical project may include:

• Customer discovery
• Competitive analyses
• Evaluation of business models
• Market research
• Funding (debt/grant/equity) prep and diligence
• Financial analysis / revenue projections

Please review additional information about the program as well as previous interns personal reflections at https://sbtdc.org/services/technology-commercialization/internship 

Small businesses that participate in the program are based in North Carolina and relocation is not required.