Kathryn Stewart and Dugal Impact Fellowships
The Kathryn Stewart Fellowship and the Dugal Impact Fellowship programs are for undergraduate students who are interested in entrepreneurship and want to intern at a startup.
Through this program, local startups benefit from increased access to the University of Maryland’s most talented and vibrant students. Meanwhile, students benefit from experience with the challenges of forming and growing new companies.
To be selected for a Stewart or Dugal Impact Fellowship, students must leverage their personal resources and efforts in collaboration with the Dingman Center for Entrepreneurship to secure a summer internship with VC- or angel-funded startups OR early-stage social enterprises. The Dingman Center will offer assistance in identifying companies for internship opportunities, and provide up to a $5,000 stipend in place of a salary offered by the startup.
Benefits of Becoming a Stewart or Dugal Impact Fellow
- Fellows will be awarded up to $5,000 as the summer internship salary.
- Foster connections within and understanding of the local entrepreneurial ecosystem.
- Possibility of continuing work with the startup after the fellowship.
- Develop entrepreneurial skills within an authentically entrepreneurial setting.
Student Qualifications
- Open to current UMD undergraduate students.
- Student has a strong interest in entrepreneurship and learning from a founder in hopes of one day starting their own business or social endeavor.
- Student has participated in entrepreneurial-focused classes or events.
- Student has received an offer from a startup, or will actively work independently or with Dingman to secure an offer.
- Student can commit to work full-time (40 hours/week) for the duration of an 8-week internship.
- Student is preferably DMV-based during the internship, but the final decision is at the discretion of the startup.
Roles & Responsibilities
- Produce high-level work and represent the Dingman Center and the University of Maryland.
- Commitment to work during a typical summer internship time frame (early June to early/mid-August) negotiating any vacation dates with the company directly. Please be aware that any vacation days taken during the 8-week period will require the intern to make up the missed hours for the company.
- Once designated a Stewart or Dugal Impact fellow, students are expected have regular check-ins with Dingman team.
- Professional communications and timely deliverables.
- Completion of Entrepreneurship Audit presentation.
Application Process for Students
- Students apply at dingman.umd.edu/dl/fellowship.
- If accepted, students work independently to secure an internship offer or interview with and possibly secure an internship offer with the Dingman Center’s network of companies.
- Student attends a mandatory onboarding and social in the Spring semester.
Intern Search Resources
What types of companies are eligible for the Stewart Fellowship?
- Firm must either have already raised some Angel or VC funding or have received grant funding of $500,000 or more.
- Non-profit startups are also eligible.
- Self-funded firms will be considered in cases where angel or VC funding is being actively pursued.
- Must be recent startups: less than five years since inception (or since initial external capital, in the case of "ramp-ups" or "speed-ups").
- The company is expected to expose the student to strategic decision-making aspects of the company's operation.
- Daily operations are preferably in-person or hybrid.
What types of companies are eligible for the Dugal Impact Fellowship?
- The company must be revenue-generating and have 5+ full-time employees.
- Intern role must be substantive and useful for the company's growth.
- The company must provide a direct supervisor for the intern who has the capacity and enthusiasm to effectively manage him/her.
- For-profit and nonprofit companies are eligible.
- Daily operations are preferably in-person or hybrid.
Eligibility Process for Interested Companies
- Verify eligibility with the Dingman Center by emailing Sadia Alao at salao@umd.edu.
- Include a detailed internship description and confirmation of the eligibility criteria outlined above.
- If approved, interview top candidates.
About our Partners
The Dingman Center is able to offer students a $5,000 stipend for the Kathryn Stewart Fellowship thanks to the generous contribution of Kathryn Stewart.
The Dingman Center is able to offer students a $5,000 stipend for the Dugal Impact Fellowship thanks to the generous contributions of Ish ’05 and Priya Dugal ’05.