Here at The Inceptery, our Interns for Impact are much more than an extra pair of hands – they are co-creators in the way we think, work and learn together in our sustainability-led innovation practice. 

In part one of this series, we shared why this impact-focused internship programme exists, how interns land internships with us, and what we look for when we co-design each bespoke internship experience around their curiosity, goals and interests.

If you have not already read it and would like more background on how we approach high-impact, purpose-driven internships at The Inceptery, you can find that here.

In this next instalment, we are shifting the spotlight to the interns themselves, inviting you to hear directly from them as they respond to the same set of questions about what brought them here, what they worked on across sustainability, ESG and systemic value creation, and what they are taking away from their time with us.

Their words offer an honest window into the challenges, surprises and moments of growth that have shaped their journeys, and we hope they will be useful for anyone considering an impact-focused internship of their own.

Hear from our interns:

• Aniruddh from India – (Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) at Symbiosis Centre for Management Studies (SCMS), Pune)
• Sreylin from Cambodia –  (Economics with a minor in data science, Davidson College, USA)
• Anna from Canada – (Environmental Engineering, University of Waterloo, Canada)
• Quynh from Vietnam – (Major in Arts and Media studies, Minor in Human-Centered Engineering,  Fulbright University Vietnam)
• Tvisha – Singapore / India, (Just completed the first year of her A Levels – looking to pursue Economics at University). (Update Feb 2026 – she has secured a place at Oxford to study PPE (philosophy, politics, and economics).

Introducing Aniruddh

Name and location: Hey there, I’m Aniruddh Naik. I had the fantastic opportunity to intern with The Inceptery back in April and May of 2021. It was a fully remote experience, so I was working from my home in Pune, India, while the team was based in Singapore. These days, you can find me in Mumbai, where I’m currently doing my MBA.

What made you reach out to/choose to do an internship with us (The Inceptery)? I’ve always been drawn to using business for good, a passion that really took root when I was leading the R&D team for my university’s Enactus chapter. So, when I was hunting for internships, I wasn’t just looking for a recognizable name; I wanted a role with a real purpose. It was the middle of the pandemic, and I came across The Inceptery through an organization called PAX that helps students find international opportunities. The moment I started reading about their work in impact consulting and the vision that Anna and Marisa have, something just clicked. It felt like the perfect place to apply what I was learning in my business degree to the social impact space I was so passionate about.

What was your area of study whilst you were interning?

At the time of the internship, I was an undergraduate student working towards my Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) at Symbiosis Centre for Management Studies (SCMS), Pune.

How would you describe your internship experience? Honestly, it was one of the most empowering and welcoming professional experiences I’ve had. You might think a remote internship with a team in another country would feel disconnected, but the culture at The Inceptery is the complete opposite. From day one, I felt like a valued member of the team, not just an intern. I was included in important discussions and given a significant degree of trust and autonomy, which really helped me grow in confidence. It was the perfect balance of supportive mentorship and hands-on responsibility.

Can you describe the internship work you did?

The team entrusted me with projects that had real substance. I wasn’t just on the sidelines; I was contributing to core strategic initiatives. My main responsibilities included:

Formulating a Board of Advisors framework. This was a fascinating look into the architecture of strategic leadership and how to build a governance structure that can effectively guide an organization’s vision.

Executing ESG-aligned research. I did a deep dive into topics like sustainable CRM strategies, supplier diversity, and other key sustainability initiatives. It felt like I was contributing directly to the firm’s mission of helping clients become more responsible and impactful.

How did the internship help you with your ongoing work/study (if at all)? Looking back, my time at The Inceptery was a real turning point. The analytical and strategic thinking skills I honed were incredibly valuable in my first full-time role as a Business Operations Specialist at Spolto, where I worked for nearly 3 years. I found myself constantly drawing on the frameworks and problem-solving approaches I learned during the internship. Beyond the practical skills, the experience solidified my desire to build a purpose-driven career, which was a huge factor in my decision to pursue an MBA at NMIMS.

Would you recommend an internship with us (The Inceptery)? In a heartbeat. I would wholeheartedly recommend it to any student who wants to do more than just fetch coffee. If you’re proactive, curious, and genuinely want to learn how business can be a powerful force for good, then this is the place for you. It’s a rare opportunity to get real-world consulting experience while contributing to work that truly matters.

What were your biggest take-aways from the internship? When I think about what I really took away from the experience, it boils down to two key things. The first was practical: I learned how to take complex strategic theories and apply them to solve real-world challenges. The second was a shift in perspective. The internship gave me undeniable proof that you don’t have to choose between a successful career and making a positive impact. It showed me how to weave purpose directly into professional life, and that’s a lesson I’ll carry with me always.

What are you doing now (Sept /Oct 2025)? Right now, I’m fully immersed in my first year as an MBA student at NMIMS, School of Business Management, in Mumbai, as part of the Batch of 2025-2027.

Introducing Sreylin

Name and location: Sreylin, remote from the States.

Date of Internship: Summer of 2021.

What made you reach out to/choose to do an internship with us (The Inceptery)?: I was interested in learning more about the sustainability space. After talking with the founders, it felt like the right fit. 

What was your area of study whilst you were interning? Economics with a minor in data science.

How would you describe their internship experience?  Very positive – great working relationship with the founders. They were very supportive and encouraged me to do lots of independent thinking which is such a valuable skill to have ~ to be able to think critically and have an informed decision. 

Can you describe the internship work you did?  The most impactful project I did was the human design thinking research on impact investing. I did the research, reached out to potential candidates for their contributions, conducted the interview, and synthesized the materials .

Would you recommend an internship with us (The Inceptery)?  Yes, I greatly appreciate the opportunity to work with such wonderful leaders. 

What were your biggest take-aways from the internship?  Always have an informed opinion. 

What are you doing now (Sept /Oct 2025)?  Index Management at Nasdaq.

Introducing Anna

Name and location: Anna – Ontario, Canada

Date of Internship: Jun. – Aug. 2024

What made you reach out to/choose to do an internship with us (The Inceptery)? Due to your status as a B-Corporation and your strong values relating to ESG!

What was your area of study whilst you were interning? GHG accounting, GHG Protocol, ESG corporate strategies.

How would you describe your internship experience? My time with The Inceptery was extremely informative and allowed me to learn from a global perspective for the first time in my studies. I was able to learn from two extremely knowledgeable and kind individuals (Marisa and Anna) who gave me the tools and background information to help me learn. I loved gaining this perspective and getting the opportunity to see first-hand the benefits of working within a company that truly values and incorporates all aspects of ESG into its business.

Can you describe the internship work you did?

• Designed & documented a standardized process to support clients with GHG assessments & carbon accounting (incl. steps, identification of relevant personnel, modes of data collection) through use of a sustainability software from a tech partner.

•  Gained experience with global standards and frameworks (GHG Protocol, ISO 14064), emission factor sources, scenario planning to reduce carbon footprint, and identifying emission hotspots.

•  Learned a new sustainability software, worked w/developers on system improvements, & created a training manual for clients.

•  Attended webinars/training sessions on corporate sustainability & carbon accounting.

•  Created marketing materials to support outreach (presentations, market trend research, competitor analysis, client pain points).

How did the internship help you with your ongoing work/study (if at all)? The internship helped me to gain familiarity with important global standards such as the Greenhouse Gas Protocol that can be applied to Canadian standards and technical practices. As mentioned previously, I was able to see first-hand how a company can incorporate ESG into their business model, and the miriad of benefits of doing so. I believe I have carried forward what I have learned from TI and hope to apply it to any company or job that I am tied to in the future.

Would you recommend an internship with us (The Inceptery)? 100%. I would not hesitate to recommend an internship with TI. Marisa and Anna were amazing mentors and trusted me with their time and efforts, allowing me to learn new concepts and skills throughout my internship that I would not have had the opportunity to experience/foster otherwise!

What were your biggest take-aways from the internship? The importance of connecting with and knowing your audience, and being able to convey highly technical concepts in a high-level, meaningful way.

What are you doing now (Sept /Oct 2025)? Working full-time at a Canadian civil, environmental, and building science engineering consulting company in their Environmental Site Assessment and Toxicology & Risk Assessment team. I am working to gain my Professional Engineer’s Designation and am in the process of joining my company’s Sustainability Team, where I hope to incorporate many ESG concepts into my office!

Introducing Quỳnh

Quỳnh kindly created a video which you can watch here:
We also include the transcript if you are not able to watch for any reason!

Name and location: Hi, my name is Văn Khánh Quỳnh. I’m from Vietnam. I major in arts and media studies and minor in human-centered engineering at Fulbright University Vietnam. 

Date of Internship: I interned for impact at The Inceptery from April to December 2024, where I served as a user experience design research intern for sustainability-driven development. My main responsibilities were conducting research, analyzing data, prototyping, and documenting the process.

What made you reach out to/choose to do an internship with us (The Inceptery)?  Would you recommend an internship with us (The Inceptery)?  I chose to do an internship with The Inceptery because I found excellent role models in the company, especially Marisa and Anna. Their leadership style is human-centric, empowering, and truly supportive. They create a healthy environment within the company and are highly professional. This is the type of role model I want to become in the future.

How would you describe your internship experience? Can you describe the internship work you did? How did the internship help them with their ongoing work/study (if at all)?  The project itself was quite interesting, and I believe it can have a big impact on global problems, especially in the ESG process. The internship gave me a clear career trajectory. I had the chance to dive deep into unpacking many layers of ESG and the CISL framework, then apply the theory to a real product. This helped me understand the real, daily challenges that organizations face.

Moreover, I got to fully execute the entire design thinking process. I went from interviewing CEOs to developing functional prototypes. 

These hands-on skills are at the core of any product designer or UX researcher role.

What were your biggest take-aways from the internship? The biggest takeaway from this internship is never to underestimate the workload of a task and always communicate openly about challenges when completing them. For example, I faced the challenge of connecting with CEOs or managers about sustainability – a group I had absolutely no prior network with. I needed to get them to accept our interview invitations within two weeks. Initially, I felt nervous and delayed the task. 

By committing to learning step by step, proactively seeking advice from mentors, and being willing to acquire new skills – both professionally as a researcher and effectively in networking – I succeeded. Ultimately, five leaders accepted our interviews and shared meaningful insights.

This is my journey as an intern for impact. Thank you for listening to my sharing.

Introducing Tvisha

Name and location: Tvisha Mirashi, Singapore

Date of Internship: 16th June 2025 – 18th August 2025

What made you reach out to/choose to do an internship with us (The Inceptery)? I initially set out with the intention to get a more practical work experience in the field of economics, as I was planning to study it further in university and I wanted to understand how it functioned beyond the typical “class content”. I was referred to The Inceptery through a mutual contact, and when I looked through the website I was really interested in the mission of holistic and ESG focused business consulting. As we further discussed possible projects, multiple were very exciting to me, and I decided to seek a formalized internship. 

What was your area of study whilst you were interning?  Both while interning and currently, I have been in my final year of high school at Singapore American School. However, I intend to pursue economics further in university. 

How would you describe your internship experience? I found the internship experience very enriching, particularly since it was a balance of highly independent and self-driven project work that was still under regular guidance and mentorship. This helped me have the agency to explore business sectors and directions I felt most passionate about, while still being able to ask clarifying questions and have support as I progressed through my work. 

Can you describe the internship work you did? I researched 3 sustainable Asian business models in food, clothing, and tech industries to create case studies of their main strategies and current challenges. I also made a final slide-deck consolidating the main insights from these businesses on what could be the most effective strategies for sustainable transitions that are both profitable and environmentally friendly. 

How did the internship help you with your ongoing work/study (if at all)? It was useful to see the application of the economics I had learnt in class, and the soft skills of business research, synthesizing relevant information, clear written communication, and effective presentation that I had developed through this experience have been highly useful for my school projects as well. 

Would you recommend an internship with us (The Inceptery)? Though it depends on what the person is looking for, I broadly would definitely recommend an internship with The Inceptery. It’s not the most traditional “work experience”, but I learnt a lot and found it to be a lot more individualized and adaptive than other opportunities.  

What were your biggest take-aways from the internship? I learnt several new concepts and frameworks like the MECE Framework, SCQA Framework, 8 Forms of Capital, etc. and also learnt about how current sustainable businesses often struggle to increase the scale/profitability of their company (especially in a B2C structure). However, another big takeaway was the soft skills mentioned earlier like business research, synthesizing relevant information, clear written communication, and effective presentation, all of which have already been useful for several other projects. 

What are you doing now (Sept /Oct 2025)? As of September/October 2025, I have been working on preparing for my final year of high school examinations while also completing university applications for both the US and UK to study PPE (philosophy, politics, and economics). (Latest Update: Feb 2026 – Tvisha has been accepted to Oxford to study her choice subject).