Please be advised that the application period for the March 2026 Externship Experience has now closed.
This externship offers students an inside look at how a mission-driven, high-growth company builds, protects, and communicates its corporate brand. During this short 3–5 day experience, the extern will shadow members of Chime’s Corporate Affairs team and observe how strategic communications translates a company’s purpose into compelling stories for media, members, employees, and other stakeholders.
Externs may sit in on team meetings, observe collaborative planning sessions, and review sample materials to understand how communications work moves from concept to execution. They may also have the chance to shadow conversations across departments to see how Corporate Affairs fits within a fast-paced, high-growth environment.
This experience is designed for motivated students who are curious about how a modern Corporate Affairs team shapes a company’s narrative, maintains brand reputation, and builds trust with key audiences. The focus of the externship is exposure, learning, and conversation—not producing content or deliverables—providing a well-rounded introduction to strategic storytelling in today’s corporate world.
You will meet other functional leads inside the Corporate Affairs function—from communications to policy to community impact to corporate marketing.
First-time host Liyan Chen (she/her) is the Senior Director and Head of Corporate Communications and Brand Reputation at Chime. She joined the financial technology company in January 2025 to lead the corporate communications strategy and increase the brand’s impact across diverse audiences. A journalist turned communications and marketing leader, Chen has led global teams across various sectors including financial services, logistics, and e-commerce. She’s currently Senior Director and Head of Corporate Communications and Brand Reputation at Chime. Previously she served as the Senior Director, Head of Global Communications and Marketing at Flexport, where she was instrumental in securing top-tier media coverage and positioning the company as a recognizable global logistics technology brand. Before that she led corporate communications for Alibaba in the U.S. She started her career as a business journalist and holds an M.A. in Business and Economic Reporting from New York University.
Externs will stay with Liyan in Montclair, NJ. The commute to the city (Liyan’s office) will be about 1.5 hours one way by NJ transit trains. The extern should plan to bring a laptop and stay with the host during time at the job site. The extern will have their own bedroom but will need to share a bathroom. No pets or dietary restrictions. Liyan and her partner have a family, so the student will likely interact with young children during homestay. There shouldn’t be many non-travel related expenses; Liyan will cover meals and local transportation. If the student wants to do fun things in NYC, they will need to cover their own expenses for that.
Students may ONLY contact me at this email to submit their applications.
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.
Liyan will schedule a 15-minute phone call before selecting the final extern.
We recommend you make an appointment to review your application materials with a CLS adviser before submitting. Questions? Email: externships@grinnell.edu.