An insight into Kelpi internships

Each summer, Kelpi welcomes an intern from Bristol University to spend 3 months supporting the business and gaining experience working in a biomaterials start up. This year, we welcomed Chemistry graduate, Nella McCann to the team. Reflecting on her time with us, she wrote:

Joining Kelpi for a three-month internship was an invaluable experience which calmed my post-graduation nerves, clarified my career goals, and boosted my confidence in seeking future research positions. During the internship, I worked with the product development team making bioplastic film and coating samples and performing mechanical and water barrier testing as part of the optimisation of their material for scale-up and specific client projects.

The team couldn’t have made me feel more welcomed. My manager, Jonny, was incredibly attentive, offering guidance when I needed it, but also giving me the autonomy to follow my intuition and work on projects that interested me. Everyone took the time to offer advice on how to approach challenges; teach me new lab techniques, data analyses, and proper document management; and answer any questions I had about working in research and advancing my career.

I was always included in team meetings, where I gained insight into every side of the company, from client work and start-up financing to safety regulations and competitor analysis. I was encouraged to contribute, and my input was consistently respected and appreciated. I also had frequent opportunities to present my work and receive feedback and even participate in outreach activities with school students, which taught me a great deal about communicating scientific ideas clearly and organising my research so others could easily follow it.

What stood out most, however, were the people and the culture at Kelpi. The team is full of wonderful, knowledgeable individuals who are genuinely happy to share their expertise and answer questions, and the company is incredibly conscientious about creating a positive working environment which created a strong sense of community that made my experience all the more rewarding. My internship with Kelpi was an invaluable first step in my career and I couldn’t recommend the company more to any student searching for a bit of research experience.