MBA Intern in San Lorenzo, California

MBA Intern Operations & Growth

If you want to own a business someday - or help others do it - this is where you start.

The Decade Project is on a mission to grow American business ownership to look like America. With 3 million businesses ($5-6 trillion in revenues) with employees whose owners are over age 55, we are initially focused on Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition (ETA) and particularly women acquirers. We need people who are ready to build it with us. That is exactly why this role exists.

This is not a role for someone who wants to observe, advise, or build decks. We are looking for a doer - someone who rolls up their sleeves, figures it out, and gets things done without waiting to be told how. If you are driven by the energy of a startup, excited to build something from scratch, and hungry to make a real difference, you will thrive here.

If you want a polished, structured internship with a clear playbook, this is not it.

You will report to TDP's Head of Operations and work day-to-day with the Operations team and our Operating Partners, getting deals moving, building our brand, and helping turn an early-stage nonprofit into a machine that creates real business owners. You will also have direct exposure to Maura O'Neill and Hannah Greenberg, two of the most respected names in entrepreneurship and ETA.

This is a rare opportunity to be part of building something that matters, from the inside, from the start.

This role spans four areas. You will not own all of them from day one, but you will touch all of them, and own increasing parts as you prove yourself.

Help TDP's Operating Partners move faster and focus on what only they can do - building relationships with business owners and closing deals. You handle the groundwork.

Identify acquisition targets in our active verticals using directories, databases, Linked In, and direct research.

Keep the deal tracker current - status, next steps, and follow-up actions logged and never falling through the cracks.

Draft initial outreach messages and communication templates for Operating Partner use.

Pull together background research on target businesses - financials, ownership history, market context - ahead of OP conversations.

Build and maintain deal models - EBITDA scenarios, leverage structures, IRR sensitivities - that help the Board evaluate opportunities.

Our primary audience is the woman or BIPOC professional who has never considered business ownership, and we need to reach them.

Write Linked In posts, newsletter issues, and short-form content that brings TDP's mission to life.

Manage TDP's Linked In and Instagram presence, consistent posting, engagement, and growing our audience.

Contribute to website copy, update pages as the team grows, and help keep the site current.

Coordinate the logistics of our interview series with board members and Operating Partners - scheduling, prep, and follow-through.

Research podcast targets, draft outreach to journalists and publications, and help track media opportunities for Maura, Hannah, and Marzi.

TDP's community is its product. We are building a network of entrepreneurs, operators, capital partners, and supporters who believe in what we are doing - and that network needs to grow.

Help plan and execute TDP's webinar series, quarterly in-person events, and the Year 1 Summit - logistics, invitations, run-of-show, follow-up.

Research and draft outreach to academic partners, HBCU entrepreneurship centers, women's business organizations, and professional networks.

Help identify and reach prospective TDP entrepreneurs through alumni networks, MBA programs, and community channels.

Own the production of 'The Ownership Letter' - our monthly newsletter - from content to distribution.

Keep the People Tracker current as TDP's…