An Invaluable Internship: “Ask Imani”

Imani Fluellen meets with student advisor, Dominesha Newton, at SBEC’s offices in downtown St. Louis.

In the Summer of 2025, a new opportunity for Foundation students and recent alums, the Edward Jones Financial Futures Internship Program, was launched in St. Louis. Overseen by Foundation Lead Student Advisor Dominesha Newton, the program established select paid internship opportunities in the nonprofit sector for which Foundation students were invited to apply.

When it comes to pairing a young person with an internship opportunity, one can hardly imagine a better fit than that of Scholarship Foundation student and advocacy fellow, Imani Fluellen, and the team at The Small Business Empowerment Center (SBEC), a nonprofit organization sponsored by the Greater St. Louis Empowerment Zone that helps urban entrepreneurs start and grow their own businesses.

Looking for someone who could apply insights from their academic experiences to real-world entrepreneurship challenges, SBEC Executive Director Kevin Wilson selected Imani for the summer position. Right away, he knew the Saint Louis University student majoring in business administration was the right candidate.

The summer went by quickly and, as it came to a close, Dominesha talked with both Imani and Kevin to get their perspectives on the internship experience. They met at T-REX, “an innovation and entrepreneur development facility” in downtown St. Louis where the SBEC offices are located.

Dominesha: How has Imani’s work supported the mission and vision of your organization?

Kevin: Imani is incredibly flexible and agile. She’s been doing marketing research for some of our clients. Tasks that would normally take me a few days to complete only take her a few hours. Imani matches our energy. From an entrepreneurial perspective, we’re always coaching small business owners to be problem solvers. She does that with ease, and often on the fly. After the tornado, many businesses were impacted. We’ve been sending out surveys and making emergency loans. Imani’s help has been instrumental in our ability to meet that need.

Dominesha: As you reflect on your work so far, what has helped you feel like you’re making a meaningful impact on the goals of your host organization?

Imani: I feel like I’m taking a weight off their shoulders, working on a lot of small things that add up. As a college student, I bring a multigenerational perspective to the internship and, if I don’t know how to solve a problem, I figure it out!

Imani, left, with Kevin Wilson, right

Dominesha: Has your proposed project for the internship gone according to plan?

Kevin: No! (laughing) The one thing we said we were going to do is help small businesses with marketing and we definitely are doing that. However, supporting small businesses is about moving with the moment. We have to be ready to help with whatever our business owners need. On a trip to a bank, for example, Imani sat in a meeting and learned the important role that banks play in the work of the SBEC. While it didn’t directly relate to her marketing focus, she learned about the importance of a multi-dimensional professional position. 

Dominesha: What challenges have you faced in this assignment and how have you worked to overcome them?

Imani: My professionalism has been a challenge. I haven’t had a lot of experience with professional emails, for example. This has helped me make a habit of checking emails and being mindful of the tone of those I send. I didn’t learn these things in school, so this experience has taught me about professional communications in the real world. 

Originally offered as a summer experience, the grant supporting the internship program allowed for an extension of Imani’s position into the fall. She and Kevin both jumped at the chance to continue working together. With no hesitation, Kevin responded: Yes! “Ask Imani” has been a very common answer to many questions this summer. She’s become a valuable member of the team!  In the middle of a large survey project, SBEC will have a continuing role for Imani, analyzing survey data and working directly with small business owners to support their goals. “When navigating the quick-changing nature of nonprofit work, a ‘sink or swim’ approach is necessary,” added Kevin. “Imani’s doing the backstroke.”

Many thanks to our partners at Edward Jones for seeding this new internship program in addition to the Edward Jones Scholarship, now in its second year. While internship opportunities are not limited to students who have received the Edward Jones Scholarship, the two efforts complement each other in purpose.