Bankably highlights Alabama Data Scholars internship work

Bankably is spotlighting two student interns, Shayna Haynes and Dianna-Grace Nelson, after they completed an eight-week summer program and presented their work in Birmingham on July 31. The internship fed into Bankably’s platform testing and data strategy as the company continues building tools aimed at helping small businesses become more bankable.

Why it matters: - Bankably is using student internship talent to improve a platform built around financial readiness, access to capital and small-business support. - The internship work added real feedback to Bankably’s product development, not just classroom-style exercises. - The program also gives Alabama students paid experience in data analytics, data science and artificial intelligence.

What happened: - Bankably celebrated the completion of the 2026 Alabama Data Scholars internships of Shayna Haynes and Dianna-Grace Nelson. - Haynes is a rising senior at John Carroll Catholic High School. - Nelson is a rising senior at Troy University. - The two students completed an eight-week summer internship and presented their work at the 2026 Alabama Data Scholars Showcase on July 31 at the McWane Science Center in Birmingham.

The details: - The Alabama Data Scholars Program, powered by QuantHub in partnership with Innovate Alabama, places students with Alabama employers in project-based paid internships. - The program includes technical upskilling, professional development and exposure to emerging career pathways. - Bankably participated in the program for a second year. - The company said that supports its work at the intersection of technology, financial literacy and access to capital. - Haynes and Nelson worked on data evaluation, platform testing, analytics and dashboard development. - Their tasks included creating and testing user accounts. - They evaluated the customer journey from the perspective of new users. - They tested bank-statement functionality and the Business Bankability Score™. - They documented findings and improvement opportunities. - They organized platform data. - They developed analytical questions. - They built dashboards designed to turn Bankably data into business insights. - Findings from their testing and analysis were incorporated into ongoing discussions about platform functionality, user experience and data strategy. - Talibah M. Bayles, founder and CEO of TMB Tax & Financial Services Benefit Corporation and Bankably, said fresh feedback from new users is valuable for a growing technology company. - Bayles said the interns asked questions, tested assumptions and identified opportunities for improvement. - Bayles said the students helped the company think differently about how it uses data.

Between the lines: - Bankably is positioning student-led testing as part of its product development process. - The internship also reinforces the company’s broader message that financial education and technology should work together to help small-business owners pursue funding. - The focus on founders who have faced barriers to affordable capital suggests the platform is aimed at a market that often struggles with lender readiness.

What's next: - Bankably said the interns’ work will remain part of the company’s growth after the internship ends. - The Alabama Data Scholars Program will continue matching students with employers for paid, project-based work in data, analytics and AI. - Bankably will likely keep building on the platform feedback, dashboard work and user testing completed during the summer.

The bottom line: - Bankably is turning a student internship into practical product input while also helping train the next wave of Alabama data talent.