The 7th Annual Lehigh Valley Internship Summit will be held July 23 at DeSales University, featuring informative sessions, engaging panel discussions, and a keynote address highlighting what interns want from their workplaces. 
In the Lehigh Valley, employers continue to prioritize attracting new talent to their businesses and growing their talent pipelines. One tried and true way is through internship programs.
The Internship Summit is presented by Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corp. (LVEDC) in partnership with the Lehigh Valley’s colleges and universities.
“The Lehigh Valley Internship Summit was born of a 2018 talent study where employers in the region voiced that they wanted to grow their talent pipelines through internships and specifically to hear from other businesses here how they host successful programs. The businesses hoped for more opportunities to learn from each other and to connect with our 11 colleges and universities and three career and technical schools. So, every year, we plan the summit centered on current trends and evolving needs,” said Karianne Gelinas, LVEDC’s Vice President of Regional Partnerships & Talent Strategies.
There is no cost to attend the Internship Summit, which runs from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. Registration is required. Register here.
The keynote speaker will be Carly Chase, an Adjunct Professor teaching entrepreneurship at Columbia Business School.
She also is a Vice President at U.S. News & World Report, in charge of building out their new career business vertical. Her keynote address will share research done in that role about what interns are seeking from their internships.
Chase has extensive experience working in business startups. She currently advises two early-stage companies, Dynocardia and SureStart, and is co-founder of Crabwalk, an education and coaching company that builds career agility and is based on one simple principle: you don’t have to walk in a straight line to move forward in your career.
Chase started her career at Goldman Sachs and formerly worked at the New York City Economic Development Corporation, where she launched and ran a number of programmatic initiatives aimed at making New York a friendlier city for entrepreneurs to start and grow their companies.
The Internship Summit also will feature two panel discussions, one about the impact of artificial intelligence on internships, and one about managing interns. Additional sessions will outline how to start an internship program for those looking to begin the process, and how to grow successful large programs. Roundtable discussions on a variety of topics will conclude the event.
Crayola is Presenting Sponsor of the 7th Annual Internship Summit. DeSales University is Host Sponsor. Moravian University is a Gold Sponsor. Silver Sponsors are Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Northeastern Pennsylvania; Muhlenberg College; Northampton Community College; St. Luke's University Health Network; Univest Financial; and Victaulic.
Sponsorship opportunities remain available. For more information, contact LVEDC Marketing Administrator Annie Hollands Lanscek at alanscek@lehighvalley.org. LVEDC’s talent work is made possible by the generous support of the commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
An annual Internship Resources Guide is published by LVEDC to share information about internship programs, how to create and evaluate a program, and current trends in programs. It includes a directory of the region’s colleges, universities, and career and technical schools.
Both the Internship Summit and Internship Resources Guide are supported by LVEDC’s Education and Talent Supply Council, which connects leaders from business, education, and community organizations to identify talent market gaps and implement strategies that strengthen the talent pipeline.
View a video about the 2023 Internship Summit here.