Please be advised that the application period for the March 2026 Externship Experience has now closed.
A virtual experience for one extern, two to three consecutive days between March 9–13
Join Kari Bassett ’98 for a fully remote externship at Collabry and the Iowa Black History Research Collective.
Collabry is a fully remote, woman-owned, boutique marketing and consulting agency serving the financial services industry. In this portion of the externship, you will get to meet with Collabry’s CEOs, Marketing Manager, and Finance Manager to learn more about each person’s journey to her current role. The extern will also have the opportunity to shadow Kari in some of her daily work as an Operations Manager.
The Iowa Black History Research Collective is a registered nonprofit that promotes Black churches for historic recognition and keeps Black history accessible while honoring the lived experiences of Black people. This portion of the externship will include an overview of operating a research-based nonprofit, tools of the trade, and balancing two very different vocations.
The Collabry Portion:
Collabry co-CEOs Rachel Formaro and Jenny Cronin, and the core team have been involved in planning this externship. This is a fully remote externship. The student will get to participate in a series of informal coffees with company leadership, as well as members of Collabry’s DEIB council.
Background check: None
Dress code: Kari suggest swearing a nice shirt for Zoom meet and greets, and the extern should plan to be on camera.
Technology Understanding: Practice good online meeting etiquette, join meetings from a quiet space.
Meeting Schedule: Meetings will be finalized after the extern and host have agreed upon dates.
Confidentiality Agreements: None. Any information shared from Collabry’s systems will also be publicly available on platforms such as LinkedIn or client websites.
The Iowa Black History Research Collective Portion:
Background check: None
Dress code: None
Technology Understanding: Practice good online meeting etiquette, join meetings from a quiet space
Meeting Schedule: Anticipate 1–2 sessions on the nonprofit. Meetings will be finalized after the extern and Kari have agreed upon dates and times.
Confidentiality Agreements: None
First Time Host Kari Bassett (she/her) is a Des Moines, Iowa, native. Kari graduated from Grinnell in 1998 with a degree in Psychology. During her time at Grinnell, she was involved in the swim team, women’s rugby, student staff, Fresh Flutes, and an occasional jazz band cameo. Kari’s first job out of college was at a children’s residential psychiatric facility, and she made her first pivot within about six months of graduation. Since then, Kari has been working in information technology in a variety of industries: Financial Services, Auto Manufacturing, Education, and Insurance. She’s also done about every job in the software development lifecycle: end user support, development, business analysis/requirements gathering, technical documentation, training, and project management. Kari is currently the Operations Manager for a boutique consulting firm. In 2020 she started the nonprofit organization called the Iowa Black History Research Collective to, as she writes, “get a bit of my soul back. :)”
Students may contact me at this email ahead of submitting their application.
Application window: January 2–12, 2026, for March 2026
To apply for this externship, submit your application materials including the It’s a Match form, one-page résumé, and cover letter as specified in the resource: Externship Experience Information for Students.
We recommend you make an appointment to review your application materials with a CLS adviser before submitting. Questions? Email: externships@grinnell.edu.