Internably: HBCU Student Creates Community For Interns Through New Platform

Finding community can be a challenge for college interns

An HBCU student is helping interns build connections through his new platform, Internably. Finding community can be a challenge for college interns, especially when living in a new city or working in a remote or hybrid environment. Bryson Hannah felt this firsthand while interning at Southern Company in Birmingham, where he was only socializing and networking with the small pool of interns at the company. He is breaking the barrier for struggling interns with Internably.

“I was in a new town and felt lonely,” he tells BLACK ENTERPRISE. “For me, I felt like I had to return home, but I knew there were other interns in my city and I just had to find them.”

The Alabama A&M University student-athlete states that social media platforms, including Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, and LinkedIn, are insufficient for their needs. Data shows that social media is a multipurpose tool for American Gen Z’ers. A recent survey reveals that nearly 50% of Gen Z prefer using social media over search engines to find information online.

However, while Hannah’s generation uses social media for information more than any other generation, they found that their peers are less likely to share internship and career updates on these platforms.

“Some people don’t think it’s cool to say, ‘Hey, I have a LinkedIn profile,’ and others want to keep social media and LinkedIn separate. I thought Internably would be a better way for people who are career-driven and for interns to meet each other,” says Hannah.

On Internably, users can find and join different groups by city. From there, users will have access to the network, allowing students to post about internship openings and social plans for the weekend, for example.

Internably: A Resource For Student Interns and Companies

Hannah officially launched the platform on June 7 and had over 100 users, representing 35 different companies and more than 25 universities within the first month. While the goal is to grow the platform, Hannah says he’s already being approached by companies that want to boost recruiting efforts among interns.

For interns, he also has a survey for them to complete regarding their experiences during their internship and whether they feel they’re doing meaningful work. He hopes to share the information with companies so that interns receive the expertise they need.

The next big project for Hannah is launching the Internably app and expanding resources for students through the platform.

“I plan on creating an internship seeking group chat, so college students that don’t have an internship can talk with each other and [gain insight] about obtaining one,” he adds.

Students and companies interested in learning more about Internably can find more information on the company’s resource website.