Name: Asuka Kosugi

Year: Junior

Major: Economics

CFS Class: Business Field Studies

Employer: Chicago Venture Partners

My name is Asuka and I’m an international student from Japan, currently a junior majoring in Economics and taking the Kellogg Certificate in Financial Economics at Northwestern. Through the Chicago Field Studies program, I worked full time as an Analyst Intern at Chicago Venture Partners, a private investment firm that invests in public emerging companies in the micro-cap space.

Going into the internship, I was extremely nervous as I previously had no first-hand experience in the finance industry and had very limited knowledge in the field, having only taken one finance class during sophomore year. However, the internship was more than accommodating – they took time during the first few weeks to not only make me feel welcome but to also conduct training sessions that equipped me with the skills and knowledge to succeed at the firm.

From sourcing potential investments to conducting due diligence on portfolio companies, the work I completed not only felt substantial but also very exciting as every project that I worked on gave me new skills, knowledge and insight that I never had before. By the end of my internship, I had sourced two amazing emerging companies, analyzed hundreds of financial statements, and given a research presentation to the entire deal team at CVP, including its Managing Partner. I am extremely grateful for the Chicago Field Studies staff and professors as well as everyone at Chicago Venture Partners for this amazing opportunity and a great first internship experience in the finance industry.