Business Development Intern (Perfomance Based Pay)

Wharton Capital Holdings LLC — a search fund featured in Bloomberg, The Real Deal, and NPR — is recruiting Business Development & Affiliate Partnerships Interns to support one of its portfolio companies: Aproche, a fast-growing women’s wellness brand combining science, beauty, and pop culture. The Principal, Angela Romero (Wharton MBA ’23), is a former Google executive and two-time fellowship recipient—the Forté Fellowship for top women in business and the Perlman ETA Fellowship for high-potential entrepreneurs in acquisition. She has helped lead multiple early-stage companies to IPOs exceeding $10B in market cap. This internship is ideal for students or recent grads who want hands-on deal experience in business development, partnerships, sales, and affiliate strategy—especially in a consumer brand that lives at the intersection of wellness, culture, and viral social media. It’s also a great fit for those curious about entrepreneurship, private equity, or consumer brand acquisition. What You’ll Learn How affiliate partnerships directly drive revenue for a modern consumer wellness brand How to pitch creators, podcasters, and digital influencers in ways that convert How to evaluate and recruit high-quality partners (TikTok, IG, podcasts, newsletters) How GMV, conversion tracking, commission structures, and creator economics work How high-growth DTC brands build scalable outreach systems and deal pipelines Performance-Based Pay: Aprōche gives all interns a performance incentive: if you recruit a podcast partner and they generate sales, you earn a 5% commission on those sales for as long as you are an active intern. Minimum of 15 hours per week to remain qualified as an active intern. This rewards initiative and gives you real upside if your outreach performs. Educational Opportunities Access to Wall Street Prep’s full catalog, including LBO modeling, valuation, and accounting Self-paced Wharton MBA acquisitions course Training on outreach, scripts, partnership funnels, and negotiation Responsibilities Identify and qualify podcasts, influencers, TikTok creators, and newsletter writers aligned with Aproche’s brand and audience Draft and send partnership pitches, affiliate proposals, and follow-up messages Manage pipeline tracking across multiple platforms (TikTok Shop, Instagram, email, etc.) Evaluate creator performance, engagement quality, and audience fit Build weekly outreach lists and partnership strategies Support PR and marketing outreach (gift guides, commerce editors, creators with high GMV potential) Assist with affiliate onboarding, communication, and performance review Ideal Candidate Business-minded: Interested in dealmaking, outreach funnels, and partnership growth Clear communicator: Can pitch confidently and professionally Organized & detail-oriented: Comfortable managing lists, responses, and pipelines Resourceful: Can find creators with real influence—not just vanity metrics Coachable: Implements feedback quickly and thoughtfully Application We onboard interns on a rolling basis throughout the year. To apply, please submit a resume and a brief cover letter addressing: Your interest in business development, partnerships, or creator/media ecosystems Your availability, ideal start date, and weekly commitment (minimum 10 hours/week) What you hope to gain from the internship Selected candidates will complete a short case study (~1 hour) as part of the interview process. Case study: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1fWKDri9RarXMXXvmnfkyl1nFmNo5ntl5ZjkwsZwjFVw/edit?tab=t.0 *Employment is at will and can be ended by either party at any time*