Internship Gives Insight into Running a Business

​Aspiring entrepreneur Nathalia Johnson, a graduate student at Florida A&M University (FAMU), is a little more seasoned in running a business following her three-month internship at Allstate insurance company.

Johnson snagged the internship as the winner of a business pitch competition for FAMU students in the Women of Color (WOC) incubator program. The incubator program, under the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC), encourages the development of female students at Historically Black Colleges and Universities.

Johnson was one of 109 Allstate interns over the summer and its first participating through the incubator program. Allstate partnered with the WBENC to launch an incubator program at FAMU, a HBCU.

“This program provides the tools, the resources, and helps these [female] students build a network to help them succeed,” said Ruby McCleary, Allstate director, business diversity. “We are here to make sure she succeeds, whether she’s with Allstate or another company.”

Allstate benefitted from having Johnson on board, too.

“She brought a whole new perspective to Allstate [as a] student, a Millennial, an aspiring entrepreneur” to customer insights and gaining marketing share, McCleary noted.

Incubator Program

Starting a business can be a daunting and confusing experience, noted Audrey Awasom, WBENC program manager and Women of Color program lead.

“The Women of Color Incubator supports NextGen entrepreneurs at the earliest stage of their businesses from…