Summer Intern Spotlight: Maryam Ahmed 27BBA at Sneex

Every summer, Goizueta Business School students from all programs step out of the classroom and into internships at companies around the world. These experiences are not just about gaining practical skills; they often lead to lasting memories, powerful insights, and sometimes even job offers.

In this series, we’ll highlight several students who completed exciting internships this summer, sharing their journeys, challenges, and triumphs. Stay tuned to discover the incredible work our students have been involved in and the valuable lessons they’ve learned along the way.

Here, we speak with Maryam Ahmed 27BBA, who interned this summer at Sneex, a luxury footwear brand launched in August 2024 by Sara Blakely. Sneex specializes in the “hy-heel”—a hybrid stiletto that merges the height and style of a luxury high heel with the internal engineering and comfort of a sneaker.

Tell us a little about yourself and what interested you in pursuing this internship opportunity. 

Hi, my name is Wunnam Ahmed, but I go by Maryam. I am a rising senior at Goizueta Business School majoring in Organization and Management. What interested me in this internship was the opportunity to be immersed in the start-up world while working for an amazing founder, Sara Blakely, and her team. I have always been a “hustler” since I was a kid — from selling candy and snacks to my classmates in middle school, to selling my jewelry and baked goods at in-person pop-up events around the Atlanta area. You could say entrepreneurship has been in my blood since I was younger, and I took a leap this summer by being completely vulnerable and myself. It landed me one of the best experiences I have ever had the privilege to be part of. 

What were your primary responsibilities, and what did a typical day look like? 

This internship was very unique compared to most traditional ones. We were truly thrown into what a start-up traditionally looks like, where our schedules never stayed the same day to day, and we had to be creative, strategic, and scrappy. During the first half of the internship, I took the lead on our biggest project of the summer: creating a try-on activation in Atlanta around the FIFA World Cup. During the second half, I took on primarily a project manager role, running behind-the-scenes logistics and helping wherever I could. We worked on multiple things simultaneously throughout the internship, so no two days looked the same. 

Typically, we would meet at 10 a.m. at the office and discuss what we intended to work on that day — whether that was editing content, sending emails, sitting in on meetings, filming content, coming up with new ideas, and more. We usually had lunch around 12–1 p.m., and afterward we’d check in with our managers, usually later in the day. We had a team meeting around 4–5 p.m. to discuss what we’d accomplished, what still needed to be completed, and who might need extra support. After that, we’d usually head home, or sometimes finish up work at the Shed or at home. I would send a daily update email to the whole team so everyone stayed in the loop.

Can you share a project, assignment, or experience from the internship that stood out to you? 

A project that stood out to me was executing our “Sneex World Cup” try-on activation. It was the first time I was able to take real ownership of something that wasn’t my own to begin with, the way my own business had been. My fellow interns and I were given the opportunity to run something none of us had experience with, with the complete trust of our managers and the Sneex team. I am so thankful that our managers, Jamie and Bassima, trusted us, allowed us to make mistakes, and let us learn as we went. I have never been so proud of something I helped build. 

We were given a zero-based budget, meaning we started with nothing. We submitted an estimate of what we thought we’d spend, got it approved, and went from there. I got to send emails to owners of real estate companies, sit in on those meetings, scout locations, keep track of budgeting, make logistical decisions, and so much more. One of Sara’s mottos is, “What you don’t know can be your greatest superpower,” and that truly showed in the way we were able to execute this activation. I used my experience with in-person pop-ups and being a local to help my team pull this off, and it showed me that we can all be an asset to someone, even if we don’t think so. Family and friends helped us build 300-lb walls, set up activities, and leaned into our plans even when they weren’t sure it would pan out. In just six weeks, I learned more than I had sitting in a classroom — all thanks to the amazing leadership that trusted us. 

What skills or knowledge from your Goizueta experience were able to apply in your role? 

The things I learned in Marina Cooley and Ryan Hamilton’s advanced marketing class helped me tremendously during my time at Sneex. I’m not the most marketing-savvy person, but the tools I learned in that class allowed me to still be an asset to my team. Especially, in conversations with CEO Kim Jones about Sneex’s social media, and while taking over the Sneex TikTok for two weeks. Everything we learned in professional development, along with the group work required across our Goizueta classes, came in handy too. Our internship group spanned from freshmen to rising seniors, with many different backgrounds and skill sets, all passionate about one thing: Sneex. We bumped heads at times, but knowing how to communicate with each other while running fast was key to our success. Nobody listens to someone they don’t respect, so treating each other with respect and practicing attentive listening was essential. 

How has this internship influenced your career interests, and what advice would you give other students pursuing similar opportunities? 

Interning at Sneex made me realize that when people say you’ll never feel like you’re working a day in your life if you’re doing what you love, it’s true. My advice to any student going through recruitment is to chase the things you truly love and care about, while also being strategic. I was still applying to other internships that weren’t my top choice while also chasing what I really wanted. Be true to yourself and be authentic — people can tell when you’re being yourself, so don’t shy away from it. That authenticity in my video application is what I credit for landing this internship. 

This experience also gave me the confidence to lean further into what I love, which is the start-up world. I hope to either work for another start-up, raise capital to build my own business, or switch sides and learn more about the venture capital space — understanding what investors look for through sourcing, due diligence, and more. 

Also, believe in yourself and take every shot possible. Sophomore-year Maryam could never have imagined she’d be interning for Sara Blakely a year later. Lastly: do what you want. You only get to do undergrad once, so don’t have regrets — do what’s best for you, and you’ll be a thousand percent happier for it. Don’t take yourself too seriously, and be unapologetically yourself.

Explore more exciting student internships and the experiences that shaped their summer! Discover more here.

Interested in pursuing a business degree? Learn more about the unique programs Goizueta has to offer.