Introducing Jacob - Ops Intern, Law Buff & Curler
Jacob shares his fast-paced ops internship at Centi, blending law, startup learning, and elite curling
Hi Jacob! Can you tell us a bit about your role at Centi and why you decided to join the team?
Hi, dearest reader! As stated above, my name is Jacob and I’m a law student currently interning with Centi’s operational team. The beauty of this role, unlike any other position I’ve held, is that it’s intentionally undefined. Broadly speaking, working in operations means — put simply, yet tautologically — ensuring that Centi operates, and does so excellently.
The organization’s structure empowers me to identify, initiate, and execute what I find necessary to achieve that goal. Not to toot my own horn, but that’s a pretty smooth segue into why I joined this tight-knit team of ten talented individuals.
Beyond the autonomy and intellectual freedom, I was, of course, drawn to the startup environment. Joining at such an early stage offers a unique opportunity to experience firsthand the intersection of finance, tech, and law. The prospect of multidisciplinary learning — and seeing how each discipline interacts, overlaps, and creates synergy — is incredibly exciting.
Finally, the early and substantial exposure to global players — whether private equity funds or international law firms — was a major selling point. I’m very much a people person, and there’s nothing I love more than the energy and warmth that comes from an inspiring encounter with a stranger, hopefully turned friend.
Coming fresh from a summer internship at DLA, what do you take with you from working at a law firm?
What I take away from DLA is a deep appreciation for the power of empathy and trust within a team. Trusting one another’s ability to deliver and displaying empathy by consistently showing up for each other are, I’ve learned, major success factors. On a lighter note, I also discovered that sitting far from the coffee machine is a blessing in disguise — never underestimate the power of a short walk to clear one’s mind or spark an idea.
What have you learned at Centi so far?
I honestly think the question should be phrased the other way around — what haven’t I learned? Perhaps an overused expression, but ever so true in this case; my learning curve has been exponential. A major part of that comes down to the immense in-house competence. The folks around here certainly deserve more than just “a penny for their thoughts,” let’s put it that way.
Jokes aside, what I’m learning goes far beyond operations. I’m gaining insight into the inner workings of equity management and the industry as a whole — something that, for my professional and personal growth, is truly priceless. Quite frankly, I don’t know where else this kind of experience and exposure would be possible.
How do you compare working at a startup to working at a law firm?
The differences far outnumber the similarities. It’s perhaps not a controversial statement that my work at Centi feels more impactful. The piecemeal, associate-style efforts are nowhere to be found. Instead, the flat organizational structure means that even I — an intern and law student — am trusted to drive projects from start to finish.
More importantly, no one here is — or feels — replaceable. Each person is a vital link in the chain that keeps the organization moving. We rely heavily on one another, and success depends on everyone bringing their own individual A-game.
Other than interning at Centi and writing memorandums for law school, what do you do?
On top of my academic and professional pursuits, I also juggle being an elite athlete. I’ve been a competitive curler for the past six years, and I don’t plan on throwing in the towel anytime soon. Competing at an elite level is a fundamental part of who I am. It has taught me perseverance, grit, and that luck is something you earn — not a whimsical gust of wind that conveniently pushes you in the right direction.
This mindset permeates every aspect of my daily life. No matter where my athletic career takes me — whether it’s just to the rink or all the way to another world championship — I’ll always carry with me a growth mindset and the ability to stay coachable. I must confess, though — I’m still a pretty sore loser.
Introducing Jacob - Ops Intern, Law Buff & Curler
Jacob shares his fast-paced ops internship at Centi, blending law, startup learning, and elite curling
Hi Jacob! Can you tell us a bit about your role at Centi and why you decided to join the team?
Hi, dearest reader! As stated above, my name is Jacob and I’m a law student currently interning with Centi’s operational team. The beauty of this role, unlike any other position I’ve held, is that it’s intentionally undefined. Broadly speaking, working in operations means — put simply, yet tautologically — ensuring that Centi operates, and does so excellently.
The organization’s structure empowers me to identify, initiate, and execute what I find necessary to achieve that goal. Not to toot my own horn, but that’s a pretty smooth segue into why I joined this tight-knit team of ten talented individuals.
Beyond the autonomy and intellectual freedom, I was, of course, drawn to the startup environment. Joining at such an early stage offers a unique opportunity to experience firsthand the intersection of finance, tech, and law. The prospect of multidisciplinary learning — and seeing how each discipline interacts, overlaps, and creates synergy — is incredibly exciting.
Finally, the early and substantial exposure to global players — whether private equity funds or international law firms — was a major selling point. I’m very much a people person, and there’s nothing I love more than the energy and warmth that comes from an inspiring encounter with a stranger, hopefully turned friend.
Coming fresh from a summer internship at DLA, what do you take with you from working at a law firm?
What I take away from DLA is a deep appreciation for the power of empathy and trust within a team. Trusting one another’s ability to deliver and displaying empathy by consistently showing up for each other are, I’ve learned, major success factors. On a lighter note, I also discovered that sitting far from the coffee machine is a blessing in disguise — never underestimate the power of a short walk to clear one’s mind or spark an idea.
What have you learned at Centi so far?
I honestly think the question should be phrased the other way around — what haven’t I learned? Perhaps an overused expression, but ever so true in this case; my learning curve has been exponential. A major part of that comes down to the immense in-house competence. The folks around here certainly deserve more than just “a penny for their thoughts,” let’s put it that way.
Jokes aside, what I’m learning goes far beyond operations. I’m gaining insight into the inner workings of equity management and the industry as a whole — something that, for my professional and personal growth, is truly priceless. Quite frankly, I don’t know where else this kind of experience and exposure would be possible.
How do you compare working at a startup to working at a law firm?
The differences far outnumber the similarities. It’s perhaps not a controversial statement that my work at Centi feels more impactful. The piecemeal, associate-style efforts are nowhere to be found. Instead, the flat organizational structure means that even I — an intern and law student — am trusted to drive projects from start to finish.
More importantly, no one here is — or feels — replaceable. Each person is a vital link in the chain that keeps the organization moving. We rely heavily on one another, and success depends on everyone bringing their own individual A-game.
Other than interning at Centi and writing memorandums for law school, what do you do?
On top of my academic and professional pursuits, I also juggle being an elite athlete. I’ve been a competitive curler for the past six years, and I don’t plan on throwing in the towel anytime soon. Competing at an elite level is a fundamental part of who I am. It has taught me perseverance, grit, and that luck is something you earn — not a whimsical gust of wind that conveniently pushes you in the right direction.
This mindset permeates every aspect of my daily life. No matter where my athletic career takes me — whether it’s just to the rink or all the way to another world championship — I’ll always carry with me a growth mindset and the ability to stay coachable. I must confess, though — I’m still a pretty sore loser.
Introducing Jacob - Ops Intern, Law Buff & Curler
Jacob shares his fast-paced ops internship at Centi, blending law, startup learning, and elite curling
Hi Jacob! Can you tell us a bit about your role at Centi and why you decided to join the team?
Hi, dearest reader! As stated above, my name is Jacob and I’m a law student currently interning with Centi’s operational team. The beauty of this role, unlike any other position I’ve held, is that it’s intentionally undefined. Broadly speaking, working in operations means — put simply, yet tautologically — ensuring that Centi operates, and does so excellently.
The organization’s structure empowers me to identify, initiate, and execute what I find necessary to achieve that goal. Not to toot my own horn, but that’s a pretty smooth segue into why I joined this tight-knit team of ten talented individuals.
Beyond the autonomy and intellectual freedom, I was, of course, drawn to the startup environment. Joining at such an early stage offers a unique opportunity to experience firsthand the intersection of finance, tech, and law. The prospect of multidisciplinary learning — and seeing how each discipline interacts, overlaps, and creates synergy — is incredibly exciting.
Finally, the early and substantial exposure to global players — whether private equity funds or international law firms — was a major selling point. I’m very much a people person, and there’s nothing I love more than the energy and warmth that comes from an inspiring encounter with a stranger, hopefully turned friend.
Coming fresh from a summer internship at DLA, what do you take with you from working at a law firm?
What I take away from DLA is a deep appreciation for the power of empathy and trust within a team. Trusting one another’s ability to deliver and displaying empathy by consistently showing up for each other are, I’ve learned, major success factors. On a lighter note, I also discovered that sitting far from the coffee machine is a blessing in disguise — never underestimate the power of a short walk to clear one’s mind or spark an idea.
What have you learned at Centi so far?
I honestly think the question should be phrased the other way around — what haven’t I learned? Perhaps an overused expression, but ever so true in this case; my learning curve has been exponential. A major part of that comes down to the immense in-house competence. The folks around here certainly deserve more than just “a penny for their thoughts,” let’s put it that way.
Jokes aside, what I’m learning goes far beyond operations. I’m gaining insight into the inner workings of equity management and the industry as a whole — something that, for my professional and personal growth, is truly priceless. Quite frankly, I don’t know where else this kind of experience and exposure would be possible.
How do you compare working at a startup to working at a law firm?
The differences far outnumber the similarities. It’s perhaps not a controversial statement that my work at Centi feels more impactful. The piecemeal, associate-style efforts are nowhere to be found. Instead, the flat organizational structure means that even I — an intern and law student — am trusted to drive projects from start to finish.
More importantly, no one here is — or feels — replaceable. Each person is a vital link in the chain that keeps the organization moving. We rely heavily on one another, and success depends on everyone bringing their own individual A-game.
Other than interning at Centi and writing memorandums for law school, what do you do?
On top of my academic and professional pursuits, I also juggle being an elite athlete. I’ve been a competitive curler for the past six years, and I don’t plan on throwing in the towel anytime soon. Competing at an elite level is a fundamental part of who I am. It has taught me perseverance, grit, and that luck is something you earn — not a whimsical gust of wind that conveniently pushes you in the right direction.
This mindset permeates every aspect of my daily life. No matter where my athletic career takes me — whether it’s just to the rink or all the way to another world championship — I’ll always carry with me a growth mindset and the ability to stay coachable. I must confess, though — I’m still a pretty sore loser.
Introducing Jacob - Ops Intern, Law Buff & Curler
Jacob shares his fast-paced ops internship at Centi, blending law, startup learning, and elite curling
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