Agri-food Finance Fellowship
The Kohl Centre invites business-minded students at Virginia Tech to apply for the inaugural class of Agri-food Finance (AFF) Fellows.
With a focus on the food and agricultural sector (The Agri-Food sector), the Fellowship will provide you with practical tools to analyze the financial state of a business, understand and articulate business models, and create business plans. We will also teach you how to use modern Artificial Intelligence (AI)/Machine Learning tools for financial applications. No prior knowledge of the Agri-food sector, finance, or AI/ML tools is required.
The selected students will be named Kohl Junior Fellows from January 2025 until December 2025. To maximize this exciting opportunity, Fellows will dedicate out-of-classroom time (on average 6 hours/week) to experiential learning experiences. As part of the fellowship, selected fellows will enroll in AAEC 4414 in the Spring of 2025.
- Develop financial analysis, modeling, and business valuation skills. Core financial competencies needed in agri-food business decision-making.
- Learn and apply cutting-edge AI/ML-powered tools for applications in finance.
- Participate in a series of Kohl Centre-sponsored industry visits, seminars with industry leaders, workshops, and more.
- Work side-by-side with faculty and external partners on a real business world project. Co-consulting experience.
- Cultivate a multidisciplinary network of peers, employers, and faculty. Excellent professional development opportunity.
- Provide networking opportunities with Kohl Centre Industry partners which will help facilitate employer-student interactions for internships and jobs after college.
- Receive tailored career advancement training, including mock interviews, resume prep, public speaking, and more.
- Receive a $500 budget to spend on resources or experiences that will enhance the student learning journey.
- An additional budget of $200 will be allocated to each Fellow for industry visits and other related professional opportunities, at the discretion of the Kohl Centre.
Business-minded undergraduate (sophomore, junior, or 4+1) or graduate students at Virginia Tech, who are interested in the intersection between food, finance, and modern data analytics tools, and who are willing to go the extra mile in their educational journey are invited to apply. Student Fellows must be enrolled and on campus in the Spring and Fall of 2025.
Contact Mario Ortez, Collegiate Assistant Professor of Agribusiness and Entrepreneurship | email omario@vt.edu