Rackner AI Innovation Fellowship (Startup Accelerator Internship)

Title: Rackner AI Innovation Fellowship (Startup Accelerator Internship)

Location: College Park (Hybrid – ~50% Minimum In-Person)

 Who We Are

Rackner is a cloud-native software consultancy delivering innovative solutions for startups, enterprises, and the public sector. We are a fast-growing, mission-driven organization focused on solving complex challenges through cutting-edge technologies.

Our expertise spans end-to-end application development, DevSecOps, AI/ML, and systems architecture, with a strong emphasis on cloud-first and cost-effective innovation. We partner with organizations ranging from early-stage startups to large federal agencies, enabling digital transformation and delivering high-impact, scalable solutions.

 

Position Overview

The Rackner AI Innovation Fellowship is a hands-on research and development program designed to explore and build next-generation solutions using artificial intelligence, cloud computing, and emerging technologies.

This fellowship offers a unique opportunity for students and early-career technologists to work in a startup-like environment while gaining real-world experience developing impactful solutions aligned with Rackner’s mission.

The program runs year-round, with:

• Part-time participation during the academic year
• Full-time engagement during the summer

Fellows will work in collaborative teams (ideally groups of 2–3 participants) to take ideas from concept to prototype, focusing on real-world applications, scalability, and measurable impact. Teams that already have strong working relationships are encouraged to apply together.

Each team will receive funding for cloud infrastructure and AI tools to support development. At the conclusion of the program, teams will present their solutions, findings, and working prototypes to Rackner leadership.

 

Key Responsibilities

• Collaborate in small teams to design, develop, and prototype innovative AI/ML and cloud-based solutions
• Conduct research on emerging technologies, including LLMs, cloud platforms, and cybersecurity frameworks
• Build and deploy applications using modern cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, or GCP)
• Develop proof-of-concept solutions with measurable impact
• Apply software engineering best practices (version control, testing, documentation)
• Analyze technical feasibility and potential business value of solutions
• Present findings, demos, and final prototypes to leadership
• Manage project timelines and contribute to team-based innovation

 

Focus Areas

• Large Language Models (LLMs) and AI-enabled applications
• Cloud-native development and distributed systems
• Cybersecurity and secure system design