Students to Startups
is a summer (May 鈥 August) based internship program in which University of AV狼论坛 students are paired with an AV狼论坛 startup company.
Collaborative opportunities: Connecting entrepreneurial startups with innovative students. Want to know more?
Are you a student looking for a summer opportunity to work with an AV狼论坛n Startup company? Do you want to gain valuable experience in the world of startups and innovation? Are you an AV狼论坛n startup company that is looking for innovative students to work with you and your team? If so, then the Students to Startups program is for you.
Students learn about design thinking, startup funding, intellectual property, customer discovery, path to market strategies, and pitching. Students transition this knowledge into their startup鈥檚 work project while growing their own capacity and capabilities for their future opportunities. Through guest lectures, students get to meet other AV狼论坛n entrepreneurs and program leads that assist them growing their network.
For students or startups interested in joining the program, reach out to us at centerice@alaska.edu. This program is supported by a grant from the Office of Naval Research.
Please let us know if you are interested below and reach out to Prof. Peter Webley, pwwebley@alaska.edu, and Michael Martins, mwmartins@alaska.edu, with questions.
Student to Startups: 2026 Program
Now taking applications from Students interested in participating in the Student to Startups 2026 program.
Student to Startups Companies: 2026 Program
Closed for 2026
鈥COMPANIES for 2026
Available Internship Opportunities
| Company Name | Company Description | Internship Description Summary | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adivo | Adivo is AV狼论坛鈥檚 first on-demand platform designed to connect homeowners with skilled local taskers for home repairs, maintenance, and odd jobs. With just a few taps, users can browse vetted professionals, schedule assistance, and receive real-time updates on task progression 鈥 giving them peace of mind that help is always within reach. The app鈥檚 mission? 鈥淲here tasks meet timeliness.鈥 | An intern in this role would split their time evenly between Marketing/Sales (creating outreach materials, supporting community campaigns, social media content) and Technical Support (testing new app features, reporting bugs, refining user experience, and making website updates). | Up to the intern's preference. |
| AV狼论坛 Food Co. | A stronger, more resilient AV狼论坛 powered by local food systems. We are building a state where our farmers, processors, and communities are connected- where food is grown, preserved and eaten right here. We're not just building a business. We're building food security, one freeze dry batch at a time. | Two Specific Roles (See Links): 1. AND/OR 2. . Students can review the detailed job descriptions via the provided links. | Sometimes on-site, sometimes remote. |
| AV狼论坛 Ocean Farms, LLC | We are a family owned and operated Kelp and Oyster farming operation in Kodiak, AK. We operate 104 combined lease acres and sell products locally, nationally, and in the US. We also operate a kelp nursery system. | Remote Monitoring System Design: Create a robust, weatherproof, off-grid camera monitoring system for the remote oyster and kelp farming operations, which has no cellular or electrical power. Includes two planned visits to Kodiak to survey and install the system. | Sometimes on-site, sometimes remote. |
| AV狼论坛 Shellfish Farms, LLC | Aquatic farm located in Halibut Cove, AV狼论坛 focused on cultivation of oysters, mussels and kelps. | Farm Work: Hands-on experience including sorting and cleaning of oysters and working with oysters in all stages of life. | On-site. |
| Alpine Design & Consulting, LLC | A boutique UX strategy and web design studio specializing in user-centered digital experiences for mission-driven organizations and outdoor-oriented brands. Revenue from larger companies allows us to support local non-profits. | UX/Web Design/Marketing: Hands-on support for client projects. Tasks include assisting with UX audits, conducting competitor research, performing small website edits, supporting content creation (SEO-friendly copy, social media posts), and helping local low-budget non-profits. | Fully remote. |
| Alyeschem | Formed to construct and operate a small processing plant in Prudhoe Bay to convert natural gas and water to methanol and remove sulfur from locally produced diesel to make Ultra Low Sulfur Diesel (ULSD). A small, rapidly growing company working with large institutional equity investors. | Business Development: Work directly with the CEO and COO to research and document additional business development opportunities. Deliverables include a written business development plan and an Excel-based financial model for each opportunity. Fluency in Excel, Word, and PowerPoint is required. | Up to the intern's preference (On-site in Anchorage preferred). |
| AnchorBot Marine, LLC | An engineering and services company structured around its flagship solution, the AnchorBot ROV, a utility-class vehicle that can install & remove helical earth anchors for offshore operations including mariculture and floating solar. | Project Planning & Field Engineering: Help with the planning and execution of Anchor Bot Projects. Tasks include reviewing soil analysis and seafloor data for site suitability and performing on-site field engineering work assisting in the operation and installation of helical anchors. | Sometimes on-site, sometimes remote. |
| Barnacle Foods | Based in Juneau, AV狼论坛, we make shelf-stable food products that are sold around the country. These foods prominently feature AV狼论坛 coastal ingredients like kelp, spruce tips, and rhubarb. | Two Roles Available: 1. Social Media Intern: Content development, graphic design, photography, and storytelling for social media platforms. 2. Production Intern: Hands-on experience in kelp logistics, processing, food safety, and general operations in our kitchen. | Sometimes on-site, sometimes remote. |
| beadedcloud | A web platform that helps discover insights for engineers, scientists, and operators whose infrastructure is experiencing environmental challenges or opportunities (e.g., Temperature Forecasting Tool, Snow Depth Monitor, Wind Induced Vibrations monitoring). | Software Development: Go through a tutorial on specific technologies (Typescript, Angular, Node.js, and PostgreSQL) and then contribute directly to the production codebase in a full-stack environment. The goal is to be pushing work to production within the first week. | Up to the intern's preference. |
| Blue Ocean Gear | Provides Smart Buoy technology for commercial fishing fleets to track gear on the ocean, reduce gear loss, and provide mission-critical ocean data. | Customer Success / Technical Support: Combination of learning hardware and software technical details while gaining understanding of various fisheries. Tasks include monitoring active fishing, troubleshooting for fishers, and working to improve the customer support process. | Fully remote. |
| CalWave | Develops technologies that generate electricity from the movement of ocean waves. CalWave is scaling the "xWave" system to utility-scale, with a pipeline of projects across AV狼论坛 and the Pacific Northwest. | Project Development & Policy Analysis: Identify new project opportunities (especially in AV狼论坛), map stakeholders, analyze power production potential, research energy/climate policy, and contribute to project financial models. | Up to the intern's preference. |
| Chugach Chocolates | Craft producer of premium AV狼论坛 chocolate products, using a variety of local ingredients and flavors (sea salt, birch syrup, kelp, etc.). We champion doing things well鈥攚e won't sell a product unless it tastes amazing. | Sales and Marketing Initiative: Design and lead an initiative focused on 1) identifying and establishing sales with new wholesale partners (e.g., gift stores, hotels, tour operators) and 2) increasing sales with existing customers. May include product R&D and scaling production research. | Up to the intern's preference. |
| Circle Seafoods QALICB, INC. | By freezing fish at ultra-low temperatures, right at sea, we are increasing the quality and value of wild seafood. The result is higher prices, economically viable harvesting, thriving communities, and stronger fisheries. | Two Roles: 1. Quality and Data Internship (On-site Metlakatla AK) 2. Sales and Marketing Internship (Hybrid Remote, Anchorage/Seattle), working directly with the Co-Founder. Quality Internship is the higher priority. | Some in-person work required |
| Cordova Chamber of Commerce | People often picture chambers as simple business associations, but the Cordova Chamber is a nationally recognized force for community resilience and regenerative innovation. Through its programs, we empower entrepreneurs, cultural leaders, and small businesses to co-create a vibrant, place-rooted local economy. | Regenerative Travel & Entrepreneurship: Work on designing regenerative travel offerings and group visitor experiences. Tasks include research on travel models, community/entrepreneur engagement, co-creating prototype travel products, and developing metrics for impact measurement. | Fully remote. |
| Designori, LLC | Designori, LLC harnesses over 12 years of expertise in Extended Reality (XR) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies, offering cutting-edge solutions that transform training and education. We develop immersive data-driven tools and integrate AR/VR/MR experiences. | Work with a multi-disciplined team on the cutting edge of AR/VR, Lidar scanning, Gaussian Splatting, and educational technology for clients seeking transformative digital solutions. For detailed internship information, see: | Fully remote. |
| Evergreen Compliance LLC | We are an information service provider to the pipeline industry. We organize pipeline safety compliance information and guidance in a Software as a Service (SaaS) search tool named 贰惫别谤驳谤别别苍:础滨搁鈩. | Information Management: Help with Metadata development for pipeline enforcement cases, organizing historical rulemaking information, writing/editing informational white papers, and preparing information for import into the Evergreen:AIR鈩 tool. | Up to the intern's preference. |
| Green Taxi Aerospace | We install electric motors (eTaxi) on the landing gear of a jet airliner to allow it to taxi (move) on the ground without using its main engines. This saves over 100,000 gallons of fuel and 1,200 metric tons of CO2 per year per aircraft. Delta Airlines is a partner. | Engineering/Business Hybrid: Market study, website revamp, technical manual writing, 3D artistic renderings for system design, benefits analysis to airlines, assisting with global sales efforts (CRM), and working with the CEO on strategic projects. | Up to the intern's preference. |
| Greensparc, Inc. | Data infrastructure for unserved markets. Focus areas include Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, and AI infrastructure. | Internship will focus on gaining Experience in the AI sector, likely involving data management, infrastructure design, or application development in support of unserved markets. Specific projects will be tailored to the intern's background (EE/CS). | TBD |
| Integrative Mushroom Solutions (IMS) LLC | Launching an innovative line of premium mushroom food products from AV狼论坛 that nourish human health while catalyzing fungi education and forest stewardship to protect AV狼论坛's rich mycobiome. | Product Launch & Marketing: Integral role in product launch, covering packaging/label development, implementing marketing strategy with coaches/contractors, managing social media/website, creating educational content (mycobiome/stewardship), and supporting tradeshows. A rare opportunity for end-to-end product launch experience and cross-functional marketing skills. | TBD |
| Kartorium | Provides an AI-powered documentation and visual twin platform that transforms fragmented operational information into instant, reliable answers for industrial maintenance teams. | Computer Science/Full-Stack Development: Go through a tutorial on specific technologies (Typescript, Angular, Node.js, and PostgreSQL), then contribute to the production workflow to gain real-world coding experience and build a reference for their resume. | Sometimes on-site, sometimes remote. |
| Keepers | Building the first fully automated property management company for short-term rentals (STRs), eliminating manual operations by automating cleaning, inventory, laundry, and maintenance. | Operations & Administration: Work closely with the CEO learning many aspects of the company, helping with daily operations, and administrative tasks within a rapidly scaling automation company. | Fully remote. |
| Kodiak Ocean Bounty | Oyster Farming, Lab and Nursery, and sales. We are growing oysters from Lab to Sales. While the oyster farming, managing a floating culture farm (-0'), is well established, we are working to add additional species in a multitrophic farm, including mussels (-3'), kelp (-7') and sea cucumbers (-20'). We are working on the system design to implement the first 3D farm in Alaksa. | We are deploying a FLUPSY (floating upwelling system) this year, and will be working to develop systems around sorting, grading and restocking. We have been experimenting with lab processes, and this year we will be moving into production quantities of algae. Key areas: 1) Multitrophic farming system design, 2) FLUPSY operations and 3) Lab production of algae to feed filter feeders, primarily oysters. | TBD |
| Pacific Kelp Co. | Ketchikan based kelp farming and processing company. PKC produces biostimulant and fertilizer products from AV狼论坛n grown kelp, selling to farmers and growers across the country. | Business Scaling (Multi-focus): Interns can assist in Sales (market research, pitch materials), Marketing (social media content, analytics), Manufacturing (assembly, QC, inventory), or Product R&D (experiments, testing formulations). | Up to the intern's preference. |
| Pt Capital | An AV狼论坛-based private equity firm focused on building and scaling businesses across the Arctic (tourism, aviation, hospitality, industrial services). We work hands-on with founders to develop strategy and accelerate operational performance. | Investment & Strategy: Work directly with the investment team on both portfolio operations and new investment opportunities. Tasks include financial analysis, market research, building valuation models, and drafting due-diligence questions for founders. | Up to the intern's preference. |
| Relevant Publishers LLC | We are an award-winning small press operating as a traditional book publisher. | Focus on Marketing/Social Media and Editing/Publishing. Tasks include: Learning book publishing basics (IP, editing, layout, design, metadata), developing and running new marketing campaigns, and creating social media content (videos/text/image) based on branding guidelines, potentially using human animation or AI software. | TBD |
| Remote Hands | We're building a tech-enabled professional services marketplace for rural-remote communities, connecting organizations with local service providers - "Uber for tasks in remote communities." | Startup Strategy & Development: Could include app development/database architecture, new feature/AI integration, marketing/content creation, or building service checklists (e.g., human research interviewing, environmental sampling). Interns will learn lean startup strategy (prototyping, testing, pivoting) and workforce management business models. | TBD |
| Sea Quester Farms | Kelp farm based in Juneau, AV狼论坛 - farming bull kelp, sugar kelp and various native species. Conducting research and creating food products along with bulk kelp for Barnacle Foods. | Hands-on Farm Work: Harvesting, sorting, processing kelp in a commercial kitchen, drying, packaging, cleaning equipment, research sampling, social media work, photography, and product design. Opportunity to gain skills, kelp community connections, and experience in research/data collection. | TBD |
| Simpson Bay Oyster Company | SBOC operates an oyster farm outside of Cordova, AK providing oysters to the local region. Our primary project is growing and selling pacific oysters. Our farm is also a research site collecting water quality data and supporting a variety of scientific projects. | Mariculture Operations: Entry-level experience with the mariculture operation from farm to sales. Work is done in a remote setting from small boats and a floating dock. Learn how to operate small engines (outboards, water pumps, generators) and gain an appreciation for environmental stewardship. | TBD |
| Sitkana | Sitkana is a marine energy company developing hydrokinetic systems that convert predictable tidal and ocean current flows into clean, distributed power for remote coastal communities. Our technology uses low-cost, drag-based units. | Engineering, Business Development, & Problem-Solving: Contribute to the design of the full-scale surface platform and hydrokinetic systems, prototype/simulate components, and help shape long-term business strategy. Technical students (Electrical/Mechanical) are highly desired. | Up to the intern's preference. |
| Tundra Electronics INC | Tundra designs and builds custom cases, holsters, pouches, bags and much more with our custom patented heating system inside to allow electronic devices to operate at extreme cold climates. We target Military usage and Antarctica/Arctic exploration and tourism. | Engineering & Testing: Research cold-weather equipment, design/build/test heated cases, research batteries, design/build/test PCB control boards, conduct real-life cold/freezer tests. Also involves using 3D printers, CAD, and marketing assistance. | Fully remote. |
Students2Startups - Examples from previous years
Previous cohorts
Students 2025
- working with
- working with
- working with
- working with
- Jessica Killeen working with
- Shelby Thompson working with
- Audrey Lonheim working with
Students 2024
- Jasmine Singh working with
- working with
- working with
- working with
- working with
- working with
- working with
- working with
- with
- working with
- working with and
- working with
- working with
- Tatum Hartlieb working with
- working with
- working with
- Adrian Kelly Antonio working with
Students 2023
- - Working with
- 鈥 Working with
- - Working with
- - Working with
Students 2022
- - Worked with
- 鈥 Worked with
- - Worked with
- - Worked with Airhounds
- - Worked with
- Thomas Huntington - Worked with and Elevated Oats
Students 2021
- - Worked with
- 鈥 Worked with
- - Worked with
- - Worked with
- - Worked with
- - Worked with
- - Worked with and Elevated Oats
- - Worked with Pallet9
- - Worked with and Elevated Oats
Students 2020
- - Worked with 907 Financial
- - Worked with 907 Financial
- - Worked with
- - Worked with
- - Worked with
- - Worked with
- Malvika Shriwas - Worked with
- - Worked with
- DeAnna Lowden - Worked with BeCool Pharma
- - Worked with
- - Worked with Integrated Mushroom Solutions
- - Worked with Integrated Mushroom Solutions
- - Worked with Oranji App
- - Worked with
Students 2019
- Dain Harmon - Worked with
- - Worked with
- - Worked with
- - Worked with
- - Worked with
- Lars O'Hara - Worked with BeCool Pharma
- - Worked with
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
A summer (May 鈥 August) based internship program in which University of AV狼论坛 students are paired with an AV狼论坛 startup company and together they develop an entrepreneurial project to support the startup鈥檚 growth while the student learns about skills for innovation and entrepreneurialism.
Center ICE will start promotion of the program early each year and setup a mixer event between interested students and startups. They will all meet and work on developing potential internship plans to submit to Center ICE. Interns will then be interviewed based on their plans and evaluated as potential candidates for the internship. To find out more on the process contact us at centerice@alaska.edu
Any student within the University of AV狼论坛 System. For more information and to talk with a S2S program member then contact centerice@alaska.edu
Any startup company based in AV狼论坛. For more information and to talk with a S2S program member then contact centerice@alaska.edu
