1. https://www.uschamber.com/above-the-fold/some-college-internships-lead-jobs-theirs-inspired-them-
start-company
Some College Internships Lead to Jobs.
Theirs Inspired Them to Start a Company.
NICOLETTE GHIMIRE
Fall 2015 Intern, Digital Content
Most college students take on internships in hopes of landing a job after graduation.
However, two seniors in the nation’s capital have taken a slightly different path. Instead of
looking for full-time jobs, they’ve used connections made and lessons learned from
internships and part-time gigs to create their own jobs.
Photo by Nicolette Ghimire

2. It all started a couple years ago, when Noah Swimmer – a now 21-year-old student from
New Haven, Conn. – walked into his dorm room at The George Washington University and
found an information pamphlet for D.C.-based startup incubator 1776. Swimmer, already
interested in video production, says he took it as a sign. He applied for and was granted a
film internship at the incubator, which later led to a part-time job at 1776.
While Swimmer was working at the startup hub, General Assembly, an immersive computer
programming school with campuses around the country, opened a new outpost inside
1776’s office space. Upon moving in, members of the General Assembly team asked
Swimmer to help them spread the word on his college campus about part-time positions
available. That’s how fellow GW student Julien Thiesfield heard about and eventually
started working part-time at the programming school.
During their tenures at 1776 and General Assembly, Swimmer and Thiesfield say they
learned invaluable lessons and developed skills they wouldn’t have been exposed to in a
college classroom. “These internships and part-time jobs helped us identify the type of skill
set that Noah and I wanted to go forward and develop,” Thiesfield said in an interview.
For instance, Thiesfield took an intensive product management course offered by General
Assembly that introduced him to the nuances of digital strategy, brand building, search
engine optimization and logo design.
In addition to learning new skills, the students say their stints at D.C.’s largest startup
campus opened their eyes to a gap in the market for their services. Early-stage tech
companies – never short on big ideas – often lacked the time and resources needed to
follow through on some of their marketing ideas, be it a clever promotional video or a
digital photo display at an event. They realized there was a need for a design house that
catered exclusively to startups.
“1776 helped us identify a gap in the market for a design house exclusively for startups,”
Thiesfield said. “General Assembly gave us the skills to do something about it.”
The result: Foggy Bottom Media.
Founded by Swimmer and Thiesfield in early 2015, Foggy Bottom Media (named for the
neighborhood that surrounds George Washington University) now consists of eight
students and alumni collaborating as videographers, photographers, web developers and
brand specialists. The group is currently in the process of filing for LLC status, and Swimmer
and Thiesfield have already acquired several clients – including both 1776 and General
Assembly.
Their pitch? Foggy Bottom Media offers branding services at prices that cash-strapped
entrepreneurs can afford, created by young entrepreneurs who understand first-hand the

3. Nicolette Ghimire
Fall 2015 Intern, Digital Content
Nicolette Ghimire is the digital content intern at the U.S.
Chamber of Commerce, where she works extensively with the
social media accounts and writes for Above the Fold.
needs of their clients and the challenges of running an upstart company.
“We couldn’t offer a $10,000 branding package, because we don’t have the knowledge or
the capacity to do something on that scale,” Swimmer said. “What we can offer is a much
cheaper alternative, which is what we think startups actually need.”
Swimmer’s and Thiesfield’s internships spawned an unexpected self-employment
opportunity. But for their half dozen student employees who aren’t interested in
entrepreneurship, working at Foggy Bottom Media provides real-world experience and
priceless networking opportunities that may help them land jobs after college.
And who knows? The experience may even inspire some to start their own startup
ventures.
Either way, their experience illustrates the immense value of internships and part-time jobs
that introduce college students to the skills and industry know-how they will need to
succeed after graduation.
This is especially true in the 21st century, as employers are increasingly looking for job
candidates with strong digital skills and who are proficient with the latest technology.
Unfortunately, that can be a tough combination to find. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce
Foundation cites government data that highlights the more than 5 million vacant jobs
around the nation, while other surveys show that one in four small business owners
currently have job openings for which they cannot find qualified candidates.
College internships and part-time jobs has proven to be an effective way to address the
skills gap, as it allows business leaders to engage with tomorrow’s workforce and build a
pipeline of talent that is ready and equipped to fill the jobs they have available.
Or better yet, in some special cases – as with Swimmer and Thiesfield – those internships
and part-time gigs may even lead to new companies that create even more new jobs.

4. © 2015 The U.S. Chamber of Commerce