WALLACE INTERNSHIP HELPS X STUDENTS GAIN BUSINESS EXPERIENCE

Having the support from the Wallace Foundation really let me live that out and experience running my own business for the summer.

Before the summer of her final year of her Bachelor of Business Administration degree at St. Francis Xavier University, Kali Beaton wanted to create her own business but did not have the financial means to do so on her own.

However, through the opportunities at StFX DiscoverBox, she won a pitch competition and became a Wallace Family intern, which provided her with not only financial assistance but also advice and mentorship from StFX staff. StFX DiscoverBox is one of Coady Institute’s strong ties with the university and local community.

“Having the support from the Wallace Foundation really let me live that out and experience running my own business for the summer,” Kali says.

Kali’s business, Positive Placement, is a marketing firm that works with small businesses and Airbnbs in Atlantic Canada.

“The highlight was definitely learning how to be resourceful and what it takes to start your own business,” Kali says. “It was a great experience for me, but I learned I wasn’t ready to run my own business fully after graduation.”

While she chose not to pursue her business full-time after graduation, Kali appreciated the supportive community around her, which included other interns, guest speakers, and her mentors, Neil Maltby and Caitlin McLaughlin.

The interns also had bi-weekly meetings with Paula Brophy, the coordinator of StFX DiscoverBox, where they learned about different topics that she was not taught during her business degree, including how to file your taxes when you’re running a small business and how to register your business with the government.

Kali says the internship format allowed for a more “personalized experience” when building a business and gave her a lot of freedom to be your own boss.

“Any other job that’s ever paid me has been me working on someone else’s projects; it was cool to get an experience where you’re paid to work on your own project,” Kali says.

For students interested in pitching a business idea, Kali says, “Go for it!”

“Practice with your roommates and your friends a lot. That’s what I did. I would recommend everyone do it. It’s a great experience to get to work on your own project.”

Following her graduation from StFX, Kali participated in the Ventures for Canada Fellowship, a start-up-based fellowship hosted at Queen’s University and is now working as a corporate legal assistant at Patterson Law in Halifax.