MacNest is Building a New Generation of Entrepreneurs

It took weeks of research, relationship-building, and patience, but by the end of his MacNest internship, Neel Thakurdas ’26 had sealed his very first business deal. The economics and data science double major at Macalester College spent his summer at Print Profit, a software startup bringing data-driven solutions to the printing industry. 

After investing so much time and energy, Thakurdas says he’ll never forget securing a business deal entirely on his own. “It was a really proud moment. Just such a cool, proud moment.”

The MacNest program, sponsored by the Entrepreneurship and Innovation Department, connects students with early-stage Twin Cities startups for a 10-week summer internship. Print Profit, operating out of the Twin Ignition startup garage in Minneapolis, caught Thakurdas’ eye immediately. Inspired by the film “Moneyball”, the company is using analytics to revolutionize profitability.

“Effective entrepreneurs are problem solvers who leverage a broad range of skills.” —Erik Halaas

Dynamic hands-on experience

At Print Profit, Thakurdas was asked to spearhead a number of high-priority projects, giving the aspiring entrepreneur multiple hands-on opportunities to learn and grow. First came pricing strategy, diving into market research and conducting customer interviews. Next, Thakurdas worked to conceptualize an entirely new version of the startup’s software, gathering insights about which features clients valued the most.

But by far his proudest accomplishment was helping develop Print Profit’s sales outreach system, which proved more challenging than expected. “We thought our inbox would be flooded with meetings,” Thakurdas said. “And it’s funny looking back at that, because that was so far from what actually happened.” Over several weeks, Thakurdas helped manage more than 2,000 touchpoints throughout the summer.

Persistence paid off. After making initial contact with a potential client, guiding them through a free trial process, and presenting pricing options, Thakurdas finally heard his first “yes.” The experience taught him that starting a business can be more challenging and more achievable than he ever imagined.

“It showed me that it’s a lot more work and volume than you might expect. But, on the flip side, it’s not unachievable,” Thakurdas said. “You don’t have to be the next Steve Jobs. You can definitely become successful as a startup founder while working on niche problems.”

Erik Halaas, a program manager with Macalester’s Entrepreneurship and Innovation Department, sees stories like Neel’s as exactly what MacNest is looking to achieve. “Many of our students dream of launching their own business, social venture, product, or service,” Halaas said. “Working hands-on with an early-stage startup provides a realistic understanding of what it takes to move such endeavors from concept to reality.”

Side by side with founders

For Thakurdas, who hopes to launch his own startup one day, the MacNest experience provided a ground-level view of what it actually takes to build a company. And a big part of that was the chance to work side-by-side with a founder. Thakurdas worked collaboratively on his initiatives with Print Profit’s founder, Nick Gawreluk.

“Nick was very flexible and was really engaged with letting me design my own internship based on what I was interested in,” Thakurdas said. “I kept my projects within the boundaries of what would help Print Profit succeed, but that flexibility and openness from Nick, allowed me to learn so much from him.”

Learning to lean on mentors is a lesson that Thakurdas has taken to heart. “Nick taught me that I should never be afraid to ask questions or to ask for help.”

In addition to their placement at a Twin Cities startup, MacNest students gather regularly as a cohort and participate in workshops to support their personal and professional development. Halaas believes that the skills students develop extend far beyond entrepreneurship. 

“Effective entrepreneurs are problem solvers who leverage a broad range of skills,” Halaas said. “In many ways, the dynamic nature of entrepreneurial work reflects and uplifts the values of a liberal arts education—finding the right balance of gathering rich and diverse insights with applying tactical skills, critical thinking with creativity, exploration with action.”

Are you an early-stage Twin Cities startup looking to work with a Macalester student for the 10-week summer MacNest program? Reach out to Linda at [email protected] to learn more.