Internships in San Antonio, TX

“Some of the best ideas came from sitting together and working through the hard parts.” During the Better Futures Institute Spring ’26 Cohort, Emily Steinmetz explored how engineering and civic innovation can support real community impact across San Antonio. As an engineering student at , Emily connected with local organizations, learned directly from community leaders, and collaborated with fellow scholars at the BFI office on the Westside — brainstorming, building, and solving challenges together in real time. That’s what Better Futures is about: learning by doing, together. #BetterFutures #Engineering #CivicTech #PublicPurposeAI #SanAntonio

“It throws you into the fire, and that’s how you learn.” During the Better Futures Institute Spring ’26 Cohort, Itzel Pulido brought her design perspective into real-world civic innovation work alongside community partners, researchers, and technologists across San Antonio. A student at , Itzel embraced the fast-paced, hands-on experience of the program, learning by building, collaborating, and solving problems in real time. Now she’s excited to continue the journey with the Summer 2026 Cohort. #BetterFutures #CivicTech #DesignForImpact #PublicPurposeAI #SanAntonio

BFI Better Futures Scholars Demo Day Our Spring ’26 Better Futures Scholars just concluded their 10-week journey exploring how AI is reshaping workforce development, public services, and community access across San Antonio. From Public Purpose AI to neighborhood-based research alongside local organizations and partners, this cohort focused on building technology rooted in real community needs. Proud of these scholars and grateful to everyone who helped make this cohort possible. Special thanks to @saafdn , SACRED, @prosperwestsa , @nalcabsa , @studentsstartups #PublicPurposeAI #CivicTech #WorkforceDevelopment #SanAntonio #BetterFutures

From student to multi-year alumni, this final wrap-up with Yairy Mendez highlights what the Students➕Startups internship program is truly about. In her experience working alongside company partners @djlawpartners & @velocitytx , she reflects on how the program didn’t just build skills, it opened doors. 🚪 What started as an internship turned into a network, a community, and a real pipeline of opportunity. And for her, that access to connection has been the biggest takeaway! Growth doesn’t just come from what you learn, but from who you meet along the way. 🤝✨

Student➕Startups had the opportunity to sit down with the CEO of @bigsunsolar and ask the questions that matter, growth, innovation, and what it really takes to scale. His takeaway? “It’s a no-brainer. Companies should be working with Student Startups—smart, vetted individuals ready to bring real value.” This is what happens when opportunity meets preparation.

The conversation continues… 🎙️Yairy shares how her startup is creating real impact, providing free housing and opening doors for those who need it most. This is what purpose-driven entrepreneurship looks like. At #StudentsStartups, we don’t just talk ideas we amplify the ones changing lives. Stay tuned, because this story is just getting started.

❤️🧡💙 Retrospective Pt. 006 Design sounds good… until it has to ship. When Design Has to Ship was one of those conversations that pulled design out of theory and put it where it actually lives... inside real organizations, real constraints, real timelines. Moderated by Laynie Clark (The Down Market), alongside Jon Rodriguez (Adobe) our Co-Chair for Design & Innovation, with Joshua Lozano (Whataburger) and Cecilia Lozano (Netflix Global Design)… this panel showed what happens when design has to scale, deliver, and sustain impact across industries. But what I loved most wasn’t just the conversation. It was how it came together. Jon helped shape this from the ground up, from ideation to speakers to structure. And then time got tight. Things shifted. We had to move. Adjust. Realign. Laynie stepped in about 30 minutes before the talk and recalibrated the entire conversation. Produced it. Refocused it. And turned it into something that worked, not just as a panel, but as a real dialogue. That’s not easy to pull off, especially that fast. And watching it all happen… That’s the part that stayed with me. Because both Jon and Laynie were once Student + Startups interns in this creative + innovation ecosystem. And now... They’re on stage. Leading the conversation. Holding the room. With a crowd actually listening. That’s the vision. I love watching the next generation lead. It pushes me to keep laying down the tracks so they can get to the spaces we always talked about reaching. That’s what The Creative Futures was built for. And in that moment… you could see it working. Big. Real. Future. — Ja’el Sundown Founder & Creative Director 📸 @courtesy.of.klpz #TheCreativeFutures #DesignLeadership #BuiltForTheCreators #NextGenLeaders #WorldBuilding

Growth doesn’t end when the program does… it evolves. ✨ From stepping in as an intern to continuing her journey with @velocitytx , she’s choosing expansion, ownership, and long-term impact right here in San Antonio. This is what it looks like when you don’t just gain experience… you build on it. We’re sat… and the story keeps unfolding. 👀 Like & comment for what’s next.

Retrospective Pt. 003 Creativity isn’t just what you make. It’s who you build. And if I’m being real… some of the most important moments at The Creative Futures happened because of Laynie Clark. My final Padawan. *Apprentice. (yeah, that’s a Star Wars reference, and it fits) Laynie came in as an intern in 2023 — curious, sharp, and observant. By 2025, she wasn’t just learning… she was leading alongside Faruk and Jayden as they had been a part of the Students+Startups @studentsstartups | The Down Market Cohort Alumni. She stepped into the role of Creative Producer, led the Red Team, and helped rebuild The Down Market website from the ground up. She guided other interns directly. Helped them think, move, and execute better. Not just from what I taught her, but from what she already had. You could see that across everything she’s touched, from Editor-in-Chief of The UTSA Paisano, to leading key moments as Marketing Manager on the Beto for Mayor campaign, and now stepping into civic impact as Communications Director for COSA District 10, taking on pivotal moments that actually matter. And if I’m being real… Laynie stepped in where it mattered, like she always has over the years and that made all the difference. She took on the conference in a real way, reporting, co-hosting, moderating, and producing three conversations. Moving through rooms, guiding energy, holding structure when it counted, and doing it all like she’d been here before. Because she has. And what hit me the most… Watching her, Faruk, and Jayden operate together, no hesitation, no confusion, no missed steps. Just flow. Trust. Execution. That’s when you know something worked. This retrospective isn’t just about the event. It’s about this: Creativity is not just pouring your energy into a project, or art, or design. It’s pouring your energy into people and teaching them how to do that for others. Laynie did that for me. And I’m grateful she was here. I truly couldn’t have done this without her and without Faruk and Jayden right there with her. (And yeah… everyone knows Laynie is my favorite.) — Ja’el Sundown Founder & Creative Director 📸 @courtesy.of.klpz #ThecreativeFutures

From intern to impact. ✨ After 3 years in the Students + Startups program, she’s not just walking away with experience… she’s still building with @velocitytx . Proof that when opportunity meets consistency, doors don’t just open, they stay open. 🚪 We’re sat… and there’s more to the story. 👀 Like & comment for Part 2.

We sat down with multi-year alumni Yairy Mendez to talk about what keeps her coming back to Students ➕ Startups year after year. From real-world experience to real impact, her journey is a testament to what happens when opportunity meets consistency. This is more than an internship, it’s a launchpad. Stay tuned for the full conversation. 🎥

You’re our favorite intern ➕ a post card from us to you! 🧡 Meaningful. Personal. Intentional. THAT’S US