Honors College launches internship pipeline with Embarc Collective

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The Judy Genshaft Honors College is expanding opportunities for its students through a new partnership with the Genspiration Foundation and Embarc Collective, a Tampa Bay tech startup incubator. The collaboration will give Honors students exclusive access to internships in technology, health care, marketing, finance and other innovation-driven fields, while creating a pipeline of young talent prepared to solve problems in the local community.

With its award-winning 32,000-square-foot startup hub in downtown Tampa, the Embarc Collective supports Florida innovators and entrepreneurs with a diverse network of resources, including startup coaches and investors.

Kailah Matyas, talent strategist at Embarc Collective, said the partnership benefits both students and the startups they support. “The goal is to connect high-achieving students with opportunities that foster real-world learning and community impact,” Matyas said. “Embarc Collective, in turn, offers mentorship and professional development.”

Embarc Collective is giving Honors students priority consideration for internship roles across a wide range of disciplines, and they are looking for more students to join the program in 2026.

“This partnership began through the Genspiration Foundation, which provides internship grants for Honors College students to gain paid experience at mission-driven startups at Embarc Collective,” Matyas said. “Ideal candidates for the internship are problem-solvers who want hands-on experience in sales, marketing, finance, technology, data sciences and analytics, market research, etc.”

From classroom to world-class innovation

Several Honors students have already completed internships through Embarc Collective and are eager to see their peers join the program.

Honors student Daniel Pham interned for three months with Visitry, a healthtech startup, where he worked in digital marketing. He said applying classroom knowledge to real tasks sharpened his understanding of the field.

“My biggest takeaway from my internship was that planning isn’t the same as doing – execution brings a completely different set of lessons,” Pham said. “I also learned that what you study in textbooks can differ greatly from how things work in real life.”

Honors student Phuong Nguyen spent her summer interning with Tampa General Hospital Ventures, the innovation and investment arm of Tampa General Hospital. She evaluated the financial and strategic value of investing in health-tech startups – an experience she described as transformative.

“This experience broadened my view and challenged me to learn about a completely new sector,” Nguyen said. “I really got to think like an investor – balancing financial insight with long-term impact. The experience taught me how to assess risk, evaluate opportunities and communicate ideas clearly across disciplines.”

Multiplying student opportunities

Judy Genshaft Endowed Honors Dean Charles Adams said the partnership reinforces the college’s interdisciplinary curriculum by allowing students to apply their problem-solving skills, creativity, and curiosity in fast-paced workplace settings.

“As we begin 2026, the Honors College is thrilled to provide additional paths for students to explore their passions and grow their skills,” Adams said. “The Embarc Collective partnership uniquely empowers them to take their learning off campus and create real impact.”

As part of the University of South Florida’s broader partnership with Embarc Collective, the Judy Genshaft Honors College aims to support the university’s efforts to strengthen Florida’s talent pipeline and expand access to innovative technologies across the Tampa Bay community.

Anna Minks is copywriter and content coordinator at the Judy Genshaft Honors College.