Join us as we close out the 2026 NYC VC Internship Program with our Final Showcase, bringing this year's intern cohort together with their VC host firms, program partners, and the wider ecosystem that made this program possible.
Over the summer, 32 CUNY students were placed into paid internships across 21 NYC-based venture capital firms. At the showcase, our interns will present the work they took on inside their firms.
The event will open with a welcome and remarks from our program partners, including NYCEDC and CUNY IAR, followed by a celebration of the students, VC host firms, and city stakeholders behind this initiative.
The showcase will then feature a speaker panel with Sunil Rao, COO, CFO & Partner at Plum Alley Ventures, Rob Rush, Investor at Rebalance Capital and Josef Najm Principal Investor at Thomson Reuters Ventures. They will share how they broke into venture, what they look for in emerging talent, and where they see the industry heading.
There will be time to connect, celebrate, and hear directly from the cohort about their summer. Lunch will be provided.
About the NYC VC Internship Program: The NYC VC Internship Program connects NYC-based venture capital firms with pre-screened and pre-trained students from CUNY and other NYC schools for 10-week work experiences. The 2026 program will place approximately 30 students in internships across VC host firms. Our mission is to create a more inclusive and thriving startup and venture capital ecosystem in NYC, by empowering the next generation of diverse young talent. Check out our Forbes piece here
*Invite and approval only
Speakers:Sunil Rao, Partner, COO & CFO, Plum Alley: Sunil Rao is a Partner and the COO and CFO of Plum Alley Ventures, where he drives strategic initiatives, financial risk management, and portfolio value creation. Before venture, he spent his career in banking, serving as Head of Cash Management for the Americas at Barclays Corporate & Investment Bank and in relationship management at Citigroup. He holds an MBA in Finance from the Indian Institute of Management, Indore.
Rob Rush, Investor, Rebalance Capital New York: Rob Rush is an Investment Associate at Rebalance Capital. Before Rebalance, he led workforce development initiatives at Correlation One, where he oversaw programs that helped thousands of underrepresented learners move into higher paying data and technology roles, and he began his career at Meta. Born and raised in the South Bronx, Rob holds an MBA and MA from Stanford and an undergraduate degree from Harvard.
Josef Najm, Principal, Thomson Reuters Ventures: Josef joins the Thomson Reuters Ventures team after working six years with Reuters leading Strategic Initiatives and Partnerships. He is an operator by trade primarily focused in the media, ad-tech, and mar-tech space. Prior to joining Thomson Reuters, he held positions with the US government, MediaMath, L’Oreal, and Diageo.
NYC Venture Capital Internship Program: Closing Showcase
Speakers
Sunil R.
Partner, COO & CFO
Plum Alley
Rob R.
Investor
Rebalance Capital New York
Josef N.
Principal
Thomson Reuters Ventures
Tue, Aug 18, 12:00 PM - 02:00 PM (EDT)
To be shared upon approval (New York)
40 attendees
FullJoin us as we close out the 2026 NYC VC Internship Program with our Final Showcase, bringing this year's intern cohort together with their VC host firms, program partners, and the wider ecosystem that made this program possible.
Over the summer, 32 CUNY students were placed into paid internships across 21 NYC-based venture capital firms. At the showcase, our interns will present the work they took on inside their firms.
The event will open with a welcome and remarks from our program partners, including NYCEDC and CUNY IAR, followed by a celebration of the students, VC host firms, and city stakeholders behind this initiative.
The showcase will then feature a speaker panel with Sunil Rao, COO, CFO & Partner at Plum Alley Ventures, Rob Rush, Investor at Rebalance Capital and Josef Najm Principal Investor at Thomson Reuters Ventures. They will share how they broke into venture, what they look for in emerging talent, and where they see the industry heading.
There will be time to connect, celebrate, and hear directly from the cohort about their summer. Lunch will be provided.
About the NYC VC Internship Program: The NYC VC Internship Program connects NYC-based venture capital firms with pre-screened and pre-trained students from CUNY and other NYC schools for 10-week work experiences. The 2026 program will place approximately 30 students in internships across VC host firms. Our mission is to create a more inclusive and thriving startup and venture capital ecosystem in NYC, by empowering the next generation of diverse young talent. Check out our Forbes piece here
*Invite and approval only
Sunil Rao, Partner, COO & CFO, Plum Alley: Sunil Rao is a Partner and the COO and CFO of Plum Alley Ventures, where he drives strategic initiatives, financial risk management, and portfolio value creation. Before venture, he spent his career in banking, serving as Head of Cash Management for the Americas at Barclays Corporate & Investment Bank and in relationship management at Citigroup. He holds an MBA in Finance from the Indian Institute of Management, Indore.
Rob Rush, Investor, Rebalance Capital New York: Rob Rush is an Investment Associate at Rebalance Capital. Before Rebalance, he led workforce development initiatives at Correlation One, where he oversaw programs that helped thousands of underrepresented learners move into higher paying data and technology roles, and he began his career at Meta. Born and raised in the South Bronx, Rob holds an MBA and MA from Stanford and an undergraduate degree from Harvard.
Josef Najm, Principal, Thomson Reuters Ventures: Josef joins the Thomson Reuters Ventures team after working six years with Reuters leading Strategic Initiatives and Partnerships. He is an operator by trade primarily focused in the media, ad-tech, and mar-tech space. Prior to joining Thomson Reuters, he held positions with the US government, MediaMath, L’Oreal, and Diageo.
Hosts