Contrarian Ventures completely reshaped how I see the world, and the people I worked with became some of my closest friends. Even now, I know I can reach out with any idea and get well-considered, honest feedback and creative suggestions. During my time with the company, I was given real responsibility on meaningful projects and no two days looked the same. It's the kind of experience that changes how you approach everything afterward, and is one that I will always be grateful for.
Stefania Lord
UC Berkeley
My internship exceeded expectations. Working closely with a small team gave me broad exposure to venture capital spanning investments, finance, ESG & impact, and operations. One of the most exciting aspects was participating in investment calls with visionary founders and gaining insight into how the team assesses startups. I felt genuinely supported and trusted throughout the internship, which made the experience especially meaningful.
Contrarian team is a family. Colleagues became friends with whom I keep in touch to this day. During my time there, I had a chance to see the ins and outs of a climate tech vc and deep dive into fascinating topics, such as the roll out of infrastructure around data centers. Rokas and Tomas both go out of their way to help juniors with career advice and connect with senior mentors in a bustling and up and coming Vilnius tech scene.
Matas Baliukonis
Vilnius Jesuit Gymnasium
My internship at Contrarian Ventures was the perfect environment to learn, experiment, and gain firsthand insight into the daily life of a top-performing VC.
I had the chance to independently conduct due diligence on startups and sit in on a variety of meetings, which gave me exposure to different areas of the industry.
What truly set the experience apart, however, was the continued mentorship and community after the program ended.
Tomas’ ongoing guidance has been potentially even more valuable than the internship itself, and the organised intern meetups have helped me stay connected and network with other like-minded individuals.
Paulius Steponkus
Bocconi University
Contrarian Ventures was the springboard that kick-started my journey into VC, climate tech, and the broader finance ecosystem. The team’s energy and conviction pushed me to think boldly, challenge assumptions, and take ownership from day one. I left with not just an experience, but with lasting friendships, mentors, and a growth mindset that still drives me forward.
Kristupas Vanagas
Stockholm School of Economics in Riga
On top of gaining lots of insights into how VC works, my experience at Contrarian was very inspiring – being surrounded by such talented and high-performing people, who were always striving to improve, has helped me develop the right mindset to succeed in my future ventures and break into high finance. On top of that, I gained many, I am sure, lifelong friendships. Grateful for this opportunity.
Emilija Capkauskaite
Vilnius Jesuit Gymnasium
During my internship at Contrarian Ventures I was surrounded by ambitious, mission-driven people who made my time there truly memorable. The different perspectives each team member brought to the table pushed me to think differently, while the fast-paced environment challenged me to learn and adapt quickly. I left the internship inspired to keep the momentum going through pursuing opportunities where I can align my skills with meaningful impact.
Jonas Sirvydis
Bocconi University
Very hands-on as I had the opportunity to join calls and invetsment team meetings. Even when I didn’t have much to say, just being on the investment team calls and listening to how they discussed investments was really interesting. Since the team was relatively small, I could ask anyone questions and they’d always take the time to respond. I liked that I got the chance to work on tasks from different teams (investment, finance, operations), as it helped me form a bigger picture of how a VC fund works. Another thing I really appreciated were the 1-on-1 and team lunches/coffee chats, which helped me get to know people better and made me feel like part of the team.