IUI - Tea's Me Business Management Internship
Last Updated:Jul 10th, 2026
IUI - Tea's Me Business Management Internship
Description
Tea's Me Café is a mission-driven small business dedicated to serving, inspiring, and connecting the community through exceptional hospitality, meaningful relationships, and community engagement. Through the Rise & Lead Fellowship, Tea's Me provides paid experiential learning opportunities that combine classroom learning with hands-on leadership experience in a real business environment. Fellows are empowered to contribute to meaningful projects, collaborate across departments, and develop the professional skills needed to become future business and community leaders.
The Business Management Fellow will receive ongoing supervision, coaching, and mentorship from Tea's Me's owner, leadership team, and café managers. Through weekly one-on-one meetings, leadership development sessions, operational planning meetings, project reviews, and regular coaching conversations, the Fellow will receive continuous feedback while progressively taking on greater responsibility throughout the fellowship.
Training will include:
- Business operations and workflow management
- Customer experience and hospitality leadership
- Inventory management and operational efficiency
- Team communication and leadership
- Labor planning and productivity
- Problem-solving and decision-making
- Business planning and strategic thinking
- Performance metrics and operational reporting
- Professional communication and conflict resolution
- Project management and leadership development
Rather than simply assisting with daily operations, the Business Management Fellow will actively participate in leading operational initiatives, improving business processes, and supporting the overall success of the organization. The Fellow will work collaboratively with the Finance & Business Analytics, Events & Community Engagement, and Marketing & Brand Strategy Fellows to understand how every department contributes to the organization's mission and long-term sustainability.
Throughout the fellowship, the learner will develop the ability to think strategically, solve operational challenges, lead projects, and make informed decisions that improve customer experience and organizational performance. The Fellow will gradually assume ownership of operational initiatives while learning how effective leadership, communication, and teamwork contribute to a successful business.
By the completion of the fellowship, the learner will:
- Understand the day-to-day operations of a mission-driven small business.
- Demonstrate leadership in managing projects, solving problems, and supporting team success.
- Apply operational data and performance metrics to improve efficiency and customer experience.
- Strengthen communication, decision-making, organization, and leadership skills.
- Collaborate effectively across multiple business functions to achieve organizational goals.
- Develop confidence leading initiatives while receiving mentorship and constructive feedback.
- Build a professional portfolio demonstrating operational improvements, leadership projects, and business recommendations.
The Rise & Lead Fellowship prepares students for careers in business management, entrepreneurship, hospitality, nonprofit leadership, operations management, customer experience, and organizational leadership by providing meaningful project-based learning, professional mentorship, and real-world leadership experience.
Responsibilities
As a Business Management Fellow, the learner will participate in project-based operational and leadership initiatives that strengthen the daily performance of Tea's Me Café. Rather than performing routine supervisory or administrative duties, the Fellow will work alongside Tea's Me leadership to analyze business operations, improve customer experiences, and lead projects that contribute to organizational growth and operational excellence.
Throughout the fellowship, the learner will:
- Analyze daily business operations to identify opportunities for improved efficiency, workflow, and customer experience.
- Assist in developing and implementing operational improvements that support organizational goals.
- Participate in inventory management, product organization, and operational planning projects to improve business performance.
- Observe and evaluate the customer experience to identify opportunities for service improvement.
- Collaborate with leadership to develop initiatives that enhance customer satisfaction, hospitality, and community engagement.
- Support the implementation of customer service standards that reflect Tea's Me's mission and values.
- Participate in leadership meetings, coaching sessions, and operational planning discussions.
- Assist in onboarding, training, and supporting new team members through mentorship and positive leadership.
- Lead selected operational initiatives while developing confidence in communication, problem-solving, and decision-making.
- Monitor operational Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), including inventory, labor efficiency, customer experience, and productivity.
- Collaborate with the Finance & Business Analytics Fellow to interpret operational data and identify opportunities for improvement.
- Present observations and recommendations that support continuous organizational improvement.
- Partner with the Marketing & Brand Strategy Fellow to ensure marketing initiatives align with the in-store customer experience.
- Collaborate with the Events & Community Engagement Fellow to support successful event execution and operational readiness.
- Participate in cross-functional projects that strengthen collaboration across all fellowship tracks.
- Lead one operational improvement project from concept through implementation.
- Develop recommendations based on research, observation, and business data.
- Present project outcomes and recommendations to Tea's Me leadership at the conclusion of the fellowship.
Qualifications
The ideal candidate is a motivated, curious, and service-oriented student who is interested in learning how businesses operate and how effective leadership contributes to organizational success. Previous management or supervisory experience is not required. The Rise & Lead Fellowship is designed to provide hands-on learning, mentorship, and leadership development for students beginning their professional journey.
Preferred Qualifications
- Currently enrolled in a college or university pursuing a degree in Business Administration, Management, Entrepreneurship, Hospitality, Organizational Leadership, Human Resources, Marketing, or a related field.
- Interest in business operations, leadership, customer experience, entrepreneurship, or organizational development.
- Strong interpersonal and communication skills with a willingness to collaborate and learn from others.
- Demonstrates initiative, curiosity, and a positive attitude toward learning new skills.
- Ability to think critically, solve problems, and adapt to changing priorities.
- Strong organizational and time-management skills.
- Comfortable working in a fast-paced, team-oriented environment.
- Demonstrates professionalism, integrity, accountability, and reliability.
- Willingness to receive feedback, ask questions, and continuously improve.
No previous management or professional business experience is required. Students will receive ongoing mentorship, coaching, and hands-on leadership opportunities throughout the fellowship.
Learning Objectives
By the completion of the fellowship, the Fellow will be able to:
- Understand the core functions of operating a mission-driven small business, including daily operations, customer experience, inventory management, and team collaboration.
- Evaluate operational workflows and identify opportunities to improve efficiency, consistency, and service quality.
- Understand how operational decisions support organizational goals and long-term sustainability.
- Demonstrate leadership by taking ownership of projects, initiatives, and operational responsibilities.
- Build confidence leading by example through professionalism, accountability, and effective communication.
- Develop coaching and collaboration skills by working alongside team members and supporting a positive workplace culture.
- Apply Tea's Me's hospitality standards to create welcoming, engaging, and memorable customer experiences.
- Evaluate customer interactions and recommend improvements that strengthen service excellence.
- Develop an understanding of how exceptional customer experiences contribute to organizational success and community impact.
- Interpret operational metrics such as sales trends, labor productivity, inventory levels, and customer feedback.
- Use data to identify operational challenges and recommend solutions that improve business performance.
- Participate in continuous improvement initiatives that support organizational effectiveness.
- Plan, organize, and lead an operational improvement project from concept through implementation.
- Demonstrate effective time management, organization, and prioritization while managing multiple responsibilities.
- Strengthen critical thinking and decision-making skills by solving real-world operational challenges.
- Collaborate effectively with the Finance & Business Analytics, Marketing & Brand Strategy, and Events & Community Engagement Fellows to support organizational initiatives.
- Understand how each department contributes to Tea's Me's mission and overall business success.
- Communicate professionally with team members, leadership, customers, and community partners.
By the completion of the fellowship, the Fellow will have:
- Developed a professional portfolio showcasing operational improvement projects, leadership initiatives, and business recommendations.
- Strengthened workplace competencies including leadership, professionalism, communication, adaptability, teamwork, organization, and accountability.
- Built confidence leading meetings, projects, and collaborative initiatives.
- Expanded their professional network through mentorship, community partnerships, and interactions with business and nonprofit leaders.
- Gained practical experience preparing them for careers in business management, operations, entrepreneurship, hospitality, nonprofit leadership, customer experience, or organizational leadership.
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