Celebrating Summer Internships at FinTech North – A Collaboration with Leeds Beckett University
At FinTech North, we are passionate about developing talent and enhancing the supply of FinTech skills in the North – it’s one of our key strategic pillars and a core part of our mission as an ecosystem facilitator. That’s why we were delighted to welcome three brilliant interns this summer, as part of Leeds Beckett University’s Summer Graduate Programme.
As one of our valued skills partners, we’ve worked closely with Leeds Beckett University to support emerging talent in the region. This internship was a fantastic opportunity to showcase the breadth of professional pathways within FinTech and give our interns a behind-the-scenes look at how we operate as a community convener and events organisation.
Over the summer, our interns contributed to social media, PR, design, market research, event support, and future-facing projects. They also played an important role in helping us deliver our regional events in Leeds, Hull, and Newcastle. Most importantly, they brought fresh energy, creativity, and curiosity into the team.
We’re incredibly proud of how each intern embraced the opportunity. Rather than paraphrasing their reflections, we wanted to let their words speak for themselves:
A Deep Dive into FinTech North: My Experience
By Saarah Ali, Psychology Graduate
After a month of integrating myself into all things FinTech, I have come with countless learnings, inspirations and perspectives. My insightful experience working as a summer intern at FinTech North has been exciting and educational. Starting with getting to know my fellow students and now teammates, we have built strong and fruitful relationships as we embarked on this journey together.
As this was our first time experience working with a start-up, there was much to take in. The team’s collaborative dynamic and willingness to support each other out to produce high-quality work has been great to see. During our experience, we worked closely with Ryan & Rachel, working on social media promotion, PR and market research. Seeing the in-depth work they do and taking a step into the complex world that they navigate with dexterity has been inspirational.
It has been beneficial to develop and build on skills such as design, event overviews and digital marketing, as well brainstorming ideas for the future of the brand. To the team that embraced us with open arms and gave valuable feedback, explaining and supporting in the best way, I give my countless thanks.
A key part of this experience has been the hands-on work we were able to do as we assisted with two regional conferences in Leeds & Newcastle. Here, we had an amazing chance to not only develop relationships between ourselves but also team members, such as Silas Ozoya, learning about the art of networking, resilience, the value of creativity and the amazing work he does in creating educational content for others.
I’ll be forever grateful to the team at FinTech North for this fantastic experience!
A Reflection of My Experience at FinTech North
By Sara Saleem, Accounting and Finance Graduate
In a time of career uncertainty, I was thrilled to be accepted into a graduate programme which would contribute to the valuable experience required in today’s demanding job market. When FinTech North, one of the organisations in my university’s Summer Graduate Programme, agreed to take me on as one of their interns, I couldn’t have been happier.
Thanks to this decision, I have met many amazing individuals, from the students who work alongside me to our employers, who have allowed us to shadow them to see how they work together as a team in their startup company. This has led to many enlightening experiences, which have enhanced my confidence and communication skills, while also showing me how the professional world works.
We were able to support FinTech North’s annual Leeds Conference seeing the variety of experienced professionals being brought into one room. The event opened up my perspective by showing me what FinTech North does as an events company and community platform.
My favourite part, though, is the behind-the-scenes work. We got the chance to enhance our technical skills while helping prepare for FinTech North’s Newcastle Conference, such as graphic design and social media administration, which are key in marketing and publicity. We have also had the opportunity to help Joe, Ryan and Rachel with some of their future projects and ideas for the company. They, along with Silas, who we met at the Leeds Conference, have been amazing people to work with, especially as this was my first ever work opportunity.
It has been an amazing and enlightening experience, and I hope there will be many more to come. Thank you, once again, for taking me on as an intern for your company.
My Transformational Experience at FinTech North
By Fathima M Mohamed, English Literature Graduate
This summer, I had the incredible opportunity to become an intern at FinTech North, and I can genuinely say it has been one of the most memorable and enriching experiences in my academic and professional journey so far.
From day one, I was welcomed by an inspiring team – Joe, Rachel and Ryan, who each brought a unique energy and insight into the company. Being part of a startup environment meant that initiative and self-motivation were key. While we received guidance, much of the work relied on my ability to push myself, think creatively, and solve problems independently, which instilled my confidence in navigating ambiguity.
I was given a chance to gain hands-on experience in market research, PR, report writing, social media strategy, digital marketing, editing and posting content across platforms. I also learned the value of teamwork, as collaboration was the heart of everything we did. Working closely with both the FinTech North team and the other interns, now friends, made it clear how shared goals and mutual support can drive success.
One of the most notable moments was supporting the three regional events in Leeds, Hull and Newcastle, and attending the Leeds Conference. Being surrounded by professionals, entrepreneurs and CEOs gave me insight into the business world and deepened my understanding of industry dynamics as well as professionalism.
Coming from a background focused on academia and journalism, this internship has broadened my career perspective, and I now see exciting opportunities in the business world, and for that, I am truly grateful for this once-in-a-lifetime experience that helped to unlock new possibilities.
Thank you to everyone at FinTech North for making this placement so inspiring. Your support and openness created an environment that was both welcoming and transformative. A special recognition to Silas Ozaya, whose guidance helped improve my professional communication and enhanced my understanding of the value of networking skills. This has been an unforgettable experience – one that I will carry forward into my next chapters with gratitude and inspiration.
We’re incredibly grateful to Saarah, Sara and Fathima for their enthusiasm, contributions and professionalism. We wish them the very best in their next steps – and we hope their stories encourage more students and graduates to explore opportunities in FinTech.
For more information on opportunities for collaboration on FinTech skills and more, reach out to us at info@fintechnorth.uk.
