Venture & Climate Funding Strategy Fellow

About FairwAI FairwAI is building the AI bias detection and compliance platform that industries will rely on to ensure fairness in hospitality, and healthcare. We operate at the intersection of AI, policy, and accountability — backed by a team from MIT, Oxford, and Harvard. Our work blends rigorous research, thoughtful product development, and ethical innovation at global scale. You'll own our funding research across three channels: non-dilutive grants, debt and working capital, and equity. Your work will directly shape what we pursue and when. This is ideal for someone interested in venture finance, climate tech, public funding, or startup strategy. WHAT YOU'LL DO The company just won a large federal contract. Build and maintain a living funding tracker covering all active and pipeline opportunities — source, type, amount, eligibility, deadlines, fit, and status. Research three categories of capital: — Non-dilutive grants: federal (DOE, ARPA-E, NSF SBIR/STTR) and state (MassCEC programs including AmplifyMass, Catalyst/DICES, InnovateMass) — Debt and working capital: federal contract-backed credit lines, SBA 7(a), invoice and PO financing — Equity: angel networks, climatetech syndicates, accelerators, and pitch competitions Verify eligibility precisely. Read the fine print. Flag dealbreakers early. Draft outreach for founder review — inquiry emails, eligibility questions, short concept summaries. You draft; founder approves and sends. Produce a weekly brief: new opportunities, upcoming deadlines, recommended priorities, open questions. One page. WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR Strong research skills — you can read a program's terms and extract what actually matters Excellent written communication; able to draft clear, professional emails Detail-oriented and organized — you treat deadlines and eligibility rules seriously Comfortable working independently with minimal supervision Genuine interest in climatetech, venture finance, public funding, or startup operations Discretion with sensitive financial and contract information Nice to have: familiarity with government grants or SBIR, Airtable or spreadsheets, prior startup or VC exposure. Background in finance, public policy, economics, environmental studies, or business is a plus — but not required. WHAT YOU'LL GET Direct mentorship from a Forbes Next 1000 founder with active relationships at MIT, NYSERDA, Columbia University, and Oxford Saïd Business School Real, portfolio-worthy exposure to how an early-stage company raises capital across grants, debt, and equity A funded tracker and research pipeline you built from scratch — yours to show in interviews A reference from a founder with institutional credibility across climate, AI governance, and policy Team Mr. Dixon –Chief Compliance Strategist Role: Visionary founder of FairwAI, Mr. Dixon leads overall strategy, mission alignment, institutional partnerships, and compliance innovation. He ensures the platform remains focused on real-world fairness, risk mitigation, and public accountability—rather than abstract DEI. Bio: Mr. Dixon is a serial founder, public interest technologist, and global strategist known for building impact ventures at the intersection of technology, governance, and equity. He is currently a strategic advisor at MIT, where he collaborates across departments such as the MIT Media Lab and Martin Trust Center. Mr. Dixon has served as a policy strategist to President John Mahama of Ghana, worked with the U.S. Department of Energy on distributed energy infrastructure, and led multi-million-dollar public-private partnerships with organizations like GE Healthcare, USAID, and UNICEF. Mr. Dixon is the founder of SolarFi, a social enterprise that builds portable solar-powered infrastructure for clinics, schools, and underserved communities across Africa providing energy to over 600,000 people. Under his leadership, SolarFi was awarded major U.S. government contracts and featured by MIT and the UN. He has also advised on diplomatic and philanthropic partnerships. FairwAI is Mr. Dixon’s most urgent venture yet. Inspired by lived experiences of racial bias and systemic discrimination in global travel, hiring, and healthcare systems, he founded FairwAI to reframe fairness as a compliance and safety issue, not a corporate DEI trend. Antonio brings a rare combination of field-tested grit, institutional access, tech, diplomacy, and global coalition to ensure accountability becomes enforceable. Dr. John Cooley – Role: Leads FairwAI’s technical architecture, AI compliance engine, and research partnerships. Bio: Dr. John Cooley is a renowned technologist and serial entrepreneur who holds five degrees from MIT: B.S. in Electrical Engineering, B.S. in Physics, M.S. in Electrical Engineering, an Engineer’s Degree, and a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering. He earned the David Adler Memorial Thesis Prize and the Morris Joseph Levin Award, recognizing his groundbreaking work in engineering and systems design. John was the CTO and later CEO of Nanoramic Laboratories, where he led the company to raise $44M+ in capital and developed cutting-edge battery and nanotechnology solutions. With 15+ years of experience at the frontier of hardware-software integration and AI systems, John brings a rare blend of research rigor and venture-scale execution. He now advises FairwAI on tech architecture, compliance logic, and academic research integration across MIT and international institutions. Dr. Ryan Chin – Strategic Advisor, Urban Tech & Mobility Systems Role: Ryan advises FairwAI on systems architecture, urban integration, and commercial strategy. He brings expertise in AI-driven mobility, sensor networks, and resilient infrastructure to inform how FairwAI scales across physical environments like hotels, hospitals, and cities. Bio: Dr. Ryan Chin is a globally recognized expert in smart cities, urban mobility, and sustainable design systems. He co-founded Optimus Ride, a leading autonomous vehicle company spun out of MIT, where he served as CEO and led the development of self-driving tech for campuses, cities, and business districts. Prior to that, Ryan was Managing Director of the City Science Initiative at the MIT Media Lab, where he pioneered AI-integrated mobility systems and urban computing platforms. Ryan holds a Ph.D. and two Master's degrees from MIT in Media Arts and Sciences and Architecture. A serial entrepreneur and systems thinker, Ryan has advised Fortune 100 companies, U.S. government agencies, and international city governments on emerging technologies, sustainability, and mobility innovation. He is a frequent keynote speaker at Davos, Smart City Expo, and the UN. At FairwAI, Ryan supports us with building out our advisory team and the integration of computer vision, IoT, and AI fairness protocols into real-world infrastructure, ensuring our platform is adaptable, sensor-compatible, and aligned with the future of ethical urban technology. We review applications on a rolling basis. We encourage early submissions. No technical background is required — but you should be comfortable thinking critically about how systems behave, who they impact, and how accountability can be built in. This role doesn't offer a salary but can offer school credit. We will offer a special certificate at the end of the internship. Top-performing interns can be: Referred to graduate fellowships or full-time impact AI roles. Eligible for future paid positions with FairwAI or its nonprofit arm if funding is available. Supported in publishing or presenting findings at tech and policy forums.

The fellow will build and maintain a funding tracker covering various funding opportunities and research different categories of capital. They will also draft outreach materials and produce weekly briefs on funding opportunities.

Candidates should have strong research skills and excellent written communication abilities. A genuine interest in climate tech, venture finance, and public funding is essential, along with attention to detail and the ability to work independently.

• School Credit • Certificate

Relevées dans la description du poste. Confirmez les exigences importantes ci-dessus.

• Research Skills
• Written Communication
• Detail-Oriented
• Organized
• Independent Work
• Interest in Climate Tech
• Interest in Venture Finance
• Interest in Public Funding
• Interest in Startup Operations
• Discretion

• Technology
• Environmental & Sustainability
• Finance & Accounting
• Consulting
• Government & Public Sector

Expérience minimale

15+ ans

Langue de l’offre

anglais

Heures de travail

40 heures par semaine

Exigences de lieu

Country, United States

Mode de candidature

La candidature directe est offerte