Application Guide
How to Apply for Entrepreneurial Ecosystem Intern
at Kiva
🏢 About Kiva
Kiva is a global nonprofit founded in 2005 that pioneered crowdfunded microloans, enabling anyone to lend as little as $25 to underserved entrepreneurs in over 100 countries. With over $2 billion invested in more than 5 million borrowers, Kiva blends technology, finance, and social impact to expand financial access. Working here means joining a digital-first, values-driven culture with a global team of 130+ employees and 700+ volunteers committed to impact, extreme ownership, and bold curiosity.
About This Role
As an Entrepreneurial Ecosystem Intern, you'll support Kiva's mission by researching, engaging, and building relationships with entrepreneurial ecosystems—incubators, accelerators, and local partners—to identify potential borrowers and strategic opportunities. You'll help map and analyze pipeline data, contribute to partnership outreach, and develop resources that empower Kiva's global network. This role is impactful because you'll directly influence how Kiva identifies and supports underserved entrepreneurs, helping scale access to capital where it's needed most.
💡 A Day in the Life
A typical day might involve researching and mapping entrepreneurial support organizations in a target region, drafting outreach emails to potential partners, and updating a pipeline tracker with new leads. You'll also attend virtual team meetings to discuss progress, collaborate on a resource guide for local partners, and analyze data to identify trends in borrower applications. Expect a mix of independent research, cross-team collaboration, and hands-on contribution to Kiva's mission of expanding financial access.
🚀 Application Tools
🎯 Who Kiva Is Looking For
- Passion for financial inclusion, entrepreneurship, and international development, with a strong alignment to Kiva's values of impact first, extreme ownership, and being curious and bold.
- Experience conducting research and analysis on entrepreneurial ecosystems, value chains, or market opportunities, ideally in emerging markets.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to engage diverse stakeholders and create clear, compelling materials.
- Self-starter comfortable working remotely, managing multiple projects, and taking ownership in a fast-paced, digital-first environment.
📝 Tips for Applying to Kiva
Highlight any experience you have with microfinance, crowdfunding, or supporting small businesses—Kiva is the pioneer of crowdfunded microloans, so show you understand their model.
Demonstrate your ability to work remotely and independently by mentioning specific tools (e.g., Slack, Zoom, Asana) and strategies you use to stay organized and proactive.
Tailor your resume and cover letter to emphasize research, partnership outreach, and data analysis—these are core to the Entrepreneurial Ecosystem Intern role.
Showcase your alignment with Kiva's values by weaving in examples of how you've taken extreme ownership, acted curiously and boldly, or put impact first in past experiences.
Mention any familiarity with Kiva's lending model, borrower countries, or impact areas (e.g., gender equity, climate change) to demonstrate genuine interest and initiative.
✉️ What to Emphasize in Your Cover Letter
In your cover letter, emphasize: 1) Your specific interest in Kiva's mission and how the Entrepreneurial Ecosystem Intern role supports it. 2) Concrete examples of your research or partnership-building experience, especially in entrepreneurial or international development contexts. 3) Your ability to thrive in a remote, digital-first team, including how you take ownership and stay connected. 4) How your values align with Kiva's—impact first, extreme ownership, and curiosity—and how you'll contribute to a culture of bold problem-solving.
Generate Cover Letter →🔍 Research Before Applying
To stand out, make sure you've researched:
- → Explore Kiva's website, especially the 'About Us', 'Impact', and 'How Kiva Works' sections, to understand their lending model, borrower stories, and impact metrics.
- → Read Kiva's blog and annual reports to learn about current strategic priorities, new initiatives, and the types of partners they work with.
- → Research Kiva's key markets and borrower demographics to understand where entrepreneurial ecosystems are most relevant (e.g., East Africa, Latin America, Southeast Asia).
- → Look up recent news or press releases about Kiva to stay informed about new partnerships, funding, or innovations in their approach to financial inclusion.
💬 Prepare for These Interview Topics
Based on this role, you may be asked about:
⚠️ Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Submitting a generic cover letter that doesn't mention Kiva, the Entrepreneurial Ecosystem Intern role, or your specific interest in financial inclusion—this shows a lack of genuine engagement.
- Failing to demonstrate remote work readiness; since the role is remote, not addressing how you manage time, communicate, and stay proactive can be a major red flag.
- Overlooking Kiva's values in your application; they are central to the culture, so not showing how you embody impact first, extreme ownership, or curiosity can hurt your candidacy.
📅 Application Timeline
This position is open until filled. However, we recommend applying as soon as possible as roles at mission-driven organizations tend to fill quickly.
Typical hiring timeline:
Application Review
1-2 weeks
Initial Screening
Phone call or written assessment
Interviews
1-2 rounds, usually virtual
Offer
Congratulations!