Internship Description
Sarah Martin ’26 and Morris Scott ’26 worked at the Sustainable Media Center (SMC), a nonprofit research and innovation hub dedicated to catalyzing positive change in media by empowering people to shape the platforms they use to promote healthier digital spaces and combat social harms related to media. SMC’s mission is to build an intergenerational community to advance sustainable and equitable media practices. Martin led research and co-design initiatives that engaged Gen Z perspectives to inform content strategy, strategic communications, and policy advocacy, contributing to SMC’s broader goal of fostering healthier, more inclusive media environments for all. Scott conducted stakeholder interviews and analysis that supported Gen Z research around sustainable media. He contributed to content strategy and helped define metrics to effectively evaluate the impact of new initiatives.
As an intern with the Sustainable Media Center, I worked on projects that advanced the organization’s mission of building a more sustainable digital media ecosystem. I delivered targeted market research on emerging digital platforms and developed metrics to evaluate their performance and strategic potential. I also participated in live industry discussions with subject‑matter experts, contributing insights into market trends and competitive dynamics, and I authored an analytical article on media‑industry developments to articulate the center’s perspective on Substack. These efforts supported the center’s work of convening industry stakeholders and advocating for solutions to the harmful effects of current media structures.
My leadership roles at Columbia Business School prepared me for this work. As a member of the Media Management Association, the Black Business Student Association, the Arts Society, and the Nonprofit Board Leadership Program, I organized events, professional visits, and consulting projects. Those experiences built my executive presence, idea‑generation skills, and vocal leadership. Coursework in Strategy Formulation taught me how to recognize opportunities for value creation, and the Foundations of Media, Platforms, and Content class provided an introduction to media industry trends and terminology. These tools allowed me to engage meaningfully in discussions and produce insightful research.
One challenge was evaluating challenges and solutions that reflect different generations of digital media users. The Sustainable Media Center focuses on younger cohorts, yet our conversations spanned multiple generations, including millennials, Gen Z, and Gen Alpha. Each group has nuanced perspectives on digital media use, and I had to consider how trends affect them differently. Navigating these differences required open dialogue and continuous learning.
My time at the center broadened my understanding of how business decisions shape digital media. The internship reinforced lessons from my digital‑media classes and challenged me to think critically about alternative social platforms. It also gave me the opportunity to connect with industry leaders and incorporate their insights into my work. I am grateful for the experience and plan to continue exploring sustainable media solutions and participating in the industry conversations that drive them.