MBA Associate Internship - Winter 2027

Firm Overview

NextGen Growth Partners (NGP) is a Chicago-based private equity firm that brings together founders and owners ready for their next chapter with exceptional leaders ready to lead one. We help make that transition thoughtfully, providing the capital, partnership, and support to preserve what’s been built and create what comes next. Founded in 2016, NGP was built on the belief that tremendous value can be unlocked in small businesses through entrepreneurial leadership and disciplined execution.

Now investing from its third fund at the $165M hard cap, NGP continues to build on a strong track record of identifying, acquiring, and scaling essential service businesses across the U.S. The firm’s distinctive “talent-first” model pairs exceptional CEOs-in-Residence (CIRs) with a proven process and dedicated support to identify, acquire, and grow enduring companies.

At NGP, three core values guide everything we do:

• Relationships – Building deep, trust-based partnerships with CEOs, business owners, investors, and the NGP team.
• Rigor – Applying disciplined diligence, structured execution, and operational excellence to every investment.
• Results – Committing to delivering measurable, long-term value for all stakeholders.

The Role

For those interested in pursuing Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition, our MBA interns work alongside an assigned CEO-in-Residence (CIR) on prospective and current investment opportunities. As your CIR's go-to team, you will wear multiple hats and serve as an extension of your CIR.

This is an incredible opportunity to get first-hand experience with Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition. As part of the internship, you will be given required readings and case studies and attend interactive Case Study Sessions (virtual) led by members of our full-time team. In addition to the NGP team, you’ll also be able to tap into our vast and notable network.

• Commitment: Part-time (15-20 hours/week)
• Dates: January 11 – March 19 (10 weeks)
• Location: Remote (Office open to those local to Chicago)
• Compensation/Course Credit: Unpaid

Role Responsibilities and Shadowing Opportunities

What you’ll do                                                                                                                                       

• Guided by your CIR, conduct extensive primary and secondary research to identify attractive industries based on investment criteria and develop detailed investment theses.
• Your CIR will train you on how to identify companies for potential investment and conduct detailed diligence on prospective investments, including analysis of business models, competitors, vendors, and customers.
• As opportunities allow, your CIR will show you how to develop IOIs and LOIs and what pre-close due diligence entails.
• Complete readings and attend interactive Case Study Sessions hosted by NGP's team.

What you’ll take away

• Gain insights into a wide range of industries, companies and business models - and discover which interest you. Learn what makes for effective theses and how to write them.
• Understand what makes for a good potential investment and how to carry out due diligence.  Practice real analysis of various stakeholders of a potential investment.
• Learn about the steps after a target investment is identified and see what post-close due diligence looks like up-close.  
• The readings and assignments supplement and complement your work with your CIR and are designed to give you a complete picture of the search process. 

Benefits

• Develop and hone skills that can be applied to the classroom and future employment opportunities.
• Learn how to source and evaluate prospects.
• Mentoring from experts and leaders actively leading searches across core industries and business services.
• Interactive educational Case Study Sessions.
• Supportive and collaborative culture.

Required Qualifications

• Currently enrolled in an MBA program and interested in pursuing Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition.
• Investor mindset and the ability to articulate a good investment story.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Available to meet with CIR on a mutually established cadence.

Preferred Qualifications

• Strong quantitative skill set – including detailed knowledge of finance and accounting principles.
• Entrepreneurial mindset – creativity and desire to independently initiate and contribute ideas.
• Embodies NGP’s core values: Relationships, Rigor, Results.