MBA Associate Internship - Fall 2026

Description of the Role

For those interested in pursuing Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition, our MBA interns work alongside an assigned CEO-In-Residence (CIR) on prospective and current investment opportunities. As your CIR's go-to team, you will wear multiple hats and serve as an extension of your CIR.

This is an incredible opportunity to get first-hand experience with Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition. As part of the internship, you will be given required readings, attend interactive Lunch and Learns (virtual), and granted access to an optional financial modeling online course that supplements and complements your work with your CIR. In addition to the NGP team, you’ll also be able to tap into our vast and notable network.

Commitment: Part-time (15-20 hours/week)

Dates: September 14th, 2026 to November 20th, 2026 (10 weeks)

Location: Remote / Hybrid (Office open to those local to Chicago)

Compensation/Course Credit: Unpaid

Role Responsibilities and Shadowing Opportunities

What you’ll do What you’ll take away

Guided by your CIR, conduct extensive primary and secondary research to identify attractive industries based on investment criteria and develop detailed investment theses.

Gain insights into a wide range of industries, companies and business models—and discover which interest you. Learn what makes for effective theses and how to write them.

Your CIR will train you on how to identify companies for potential investment and conduct detailed diligence on prospective investments, including analysis of business models, competitors, vendors, and customers.

Understand what makes for a good potential investment and how to carry out due diligence. Practice real analysis of various stakeholders of a potential investment.

As opportunities allow, your CIR will show you how to develop IOIs and LOIs and what pre-close due diligence entails.

Learn about the steps after a target investment is identified and see what post-close due diligence looks like up-close.

Complete readings and attend interactive learning sessions hosted by NGP's leadership team.

The readings and assignments supplement and complement your work with your CIR and designed to give you a complete picture of the search process.

Benefits:

• Develop and hone skills that can be applied to the classroom and future employment opportunities.

• Learn how to source and evaluate prospects.

• Mentoring from Chicago’s best and brightest.

• Supplementary interactive educational opportunities

• Collegial and collaborative culture Desired Skills/Experience/Interests:

• Pursuing an MBA and dedicated to Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition.

• Investor mindset and the ability to articulate a good investment story.

• Ability to wear multiple hats, roll up your sleeves and get the job done.

• Strong quantitative skill set – including detailed knowledge of finance and accounting principles.

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

• Entrepreneurial mindset – creativity and desire to independently initiate and contribute ideas.

• Honesty, Humility, Heart, Hunger and Hustle. Firm Overview

NextGen Growth Partners (NGP) is a private equity fund that partners with experienced operators and entrepreneurs to offer business owners an operational succession plan alongside a financial exit.

One of our CEOs-in-Residence takes a full-time leadership role within each business we acquire and is committed to growing it for the long-term. This allows us to provide business owners a way to transition out of daily management responsibilities and know their legacy is going to be preserved and dispelling private equity stigmas.