Internships

Amy Tian ’17

Lightening Energy, primarily contracted by the military, was working on preliminary development of some commercial products. During my internship, I worked on two of these commercial products: an autonomous source of energy storage and microgeneration that supports home automation (RCube), and headwear that detects concussions, tracks fitness data, and serves as a platform for other sports-related ancillaries (Athleticap). For the RCube, I contributed to the creation of a VBA-powered Excel model that would optimize and calculate the costs associated with implementing the RCube in different communities. I created cash flow models with different scenarios for both products to examine various ways to bring them to market. Furthermore, I helped pitch the products to various people, which was a valuable experience for me. I learned a lot about product development, market research, and how to think about things from a consumer’s perspective. I found it a good experience to apply what I learned in the classroom into real life situations that are not as perfect or as transparent. I also gained a valuable new perspective on our nation’s energy crisis and cyber security as well as military operations.