Amazing Edibles Intern

Amazing Edibles, a catering firm in Chicago, was a meal ticket to the business world in February 2009, for art major Matt Smith ’09. Owned by Cornell alumna Andrea Herrera ’85, the 14-year-old firm caters at professional development and corporate events and social gatherings.

Working as a marketing intern, Smith created e-mail campaigns for two client lists and a direct-mail postcard for current and potential customers. Additionally, he did market research to identify and contact prospective clients. Being a skilled photographer, Smith also took marketing photographs of food being prepared at Amazing Edibles.

Cornell’s One Course At A Time calendar gives students the flexibility to go off-campus for one- or two-month internship experiences without interrupting their normal plan of study. Also, students are able to concentrate exclusively on their internship and not be distracted by competing academic commitments.

Smith found that his experience at Amazing Edibles gave him a valuable introduction to the small business environment and a greater appreciation for marketing. He observed that in a huge market like Chicago, “without marketing no one would ever know that you existed.”

He added, “I also learned that one of the best things a company can do in a recession is to market itself more aggressively.” Reflecting on the personal value of experience, Smith said, “I learned about dealing with customers, photographing food, managing a commercial kitchen, and I even learned a few new recipes. Fun, isn’t it?”