Article courtesy of the Weatherhead School of Management.
An Illinois native, APP basketball player and, as of this summer, an international intern.
Michael Volkening, a third-year finance major who had never previously traveled overseas, knew he wanted to push himself out of his comfort zone this summer. That’s why when his professor, Michael Goldberg, mentioned a startup in South Africa looking for an intern, he jumped at the opportunity.
“I knew I wanted to intern at a startup company because I wanted to make an impact,” Volkening said. “I also was looking for a company with a mission statement that I agreed with. Zlto met all the criteria I was looking to accomplish this summer.”
Zlto is a small financial technology (FinTech) startup in Bridgetown, South Africa, that uses blockchain technology paired with its own currency to combat the youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24), which is currently at an alarming 55%.
On his first day, Volkening was greeted with a hug by the owner of the company, who he soon learned would be his manager for the summer. That’s when he knew this internship was different than he expected.
