EnterpriseKC Internship Reflection

Introduction

Welcome! My name is Marika Davis, and I am a Senior studying Strategic Communications at Kansas State University. Currently, I am minoring in Marketing and Leadership Studies, but I am also receiving a certificate in Business of Sports and Entertainment. My area of study allows me to pursue different branches of communications, which reflects my interest in Public Relations and Broadcast Journalism. I am originally from Overland Park, Kansas, and I am passionate about public relations.

Summer Internship

This summer, I am a Marketing and Communications Intern for EnterpriseKC located in Leawood, Kansas. EnterpriseKC is a business-led, systems driven, “think and do” tank focused on enterprise development, innovation, and job growth within high value, high opportunity industry clusters. Our team works directly with business, academia, and government to understand current cluster ecosystems and to advance strategies and programs that result in accelerated enterprise growth and economic prosperity throughout Kansas and Western Missouri. I am the sole member of our marketing and communications department, so it has been a rewarding challenge to embark on this summer.

Since this is the first position EnterpriseKC has created to promote marketing or communications efforts, it has been a journey that I am enjoying every step of the way. I have had a wonderful and unique experience where I am able to create a Strategic Plan for the organization and provide valuable information or advice that the team enjoys. Every day is a brand new experience for me in our office, and I am constantly working towards brainstorming new ideas and opportunities for the organization.

The First Strategic Plan

As most public relations professionals know, all great marketing or communications campaigns begin with a strategic plan. Since EnterpriseKC is a start-up organization, I had the opportunity to create the organization's first strategic plan as well as a content calendar for the summer months. This was a very daunting task, however, I am fortunate that my previous class experience has prepared me to complete this task. As I mentioned, this is a growing organization so it was a challenge to create a plan from scratch.

In order to complete this strategic plan, I had to complete a lot of research within the organization's foundation as well as analyze the current industry so I could form an impactful target audience. During this time, I was also able to receive feedback from my boss and other higher-up positions within the organization which I value. Being able to complete a project that more experienced positions usually encounter is something I am very thankful for. Now, I can have this newly developed skillset in my future projects and resume.

Kansas City Horizons Event

An event I am proud of attending at the beginning of this internship is the KC Horizons event hosted by KC Rising. The purpose of this event was to gather the top leaders in the Kansas City area to network and help each other economically grow the area. EnterpriseKC was invited to this event due to our mission to help economically grow the state of Kansas and Western Missouri. In a room with hundreds of high leveled professionals, I was one of the only few interns who were allowed to come to this event.

Although I was definitely outside of my comfort zone, I made sure to make the most out of this experience. I did my best to network with dozens of professionals, form solid relationships, and spread the word about EnterpriseKC since we are still a growing start-up organization. I had a wonderful time at this event, and I was then able to take all of my learnings from this experience to form a LinkedIn post that was fairly successful in engagements and impressions with our audience.

Reflection

My time at EnterpriseKC so far has definitely been a welcomed challenge. Every day I have the ability to completely form my schedule and create a presence both online and within the community for this organization. Every day is something new which is truly exciting. I am very proud of all I have accomplished, and I am eager to see what progress and awareness I can bring to EnterpriseKC over the school year. It is amazing to be in a place where I am completing advanced tasks, and gaining valuable experience for my future.