Deadline: January 15, 2024.
Watson Institute is now accepting applications for the Ford Fund Fellowship 2024. The program is designed to equip next-generation entrepreneurs with the skills, resources, and experience to scale the impactful ventures they are building. Ideal applicants will demonstrate a proven track record of innovation, entrepreneurship, and leadership in their community.
The Ford Fund Fellowship is an intensive venture and leadership development program designed to empower entrepreneurs and community leaders to elevate the impactful ventures they are building. This is a fully-funded program and each Fellow will receive logistical support to lead a three-day training (called Basecamp) in their community.
Dates: March 4th to June 27th, 2024 (16-weeks of programming).
Benefits
Support Provided to the Fellows:
- Venture Development Stipend: $40,000 will be distributed among select Ford Fund Fellows based on progress and impact throughout the Fellowship.
- Training and Skill Development: Expert-led Training in the skills required to increase access to economic opportunity, integrate into their communities as leaders and entrepreneurs, and advance their careers.
- Mentorship & Community: Access to world-renowned entrepreneurs, industry experts, global alumni, and the Ford Fund network to receive mentorship, guidance, and support throughout the program.
- Basecamp: Opportunity to expand and elevate community impact through Basecamp – a 3-day workshop designed to help rising entrepreneurs and leaders from our Fellows’ communities to ideate solutions, design business models, and compellingly communicate their businesses and organizations to an external audience.
- Summit: A high-profile Summit event at the end of the Fellowship in which Fellows present their story, progress, and impact to a global audience, including Ford Fund employees and mentors. Ford Fund Fellowship Summit
Eligibility:
- Who You Are:
- You are an entrepreneur or community leader deeply committed to creating a sustainable, scalable impact in your communities.
- You are at the helm of a social impact venture or community endeavor in its initial stages, showcasing a history of making a difference.
- You have an entrepreneurial spirit, and a growth mindset and are driven to grow as an effective leader within your community. We characterize early-stage initiatives as those in the Problem-Solution Fit or Product-Market Fit phases, with engaged customers or beneficiaries, and demonstrated outcomes in both impact and revenue.
- Where You Create Impact: Applicants located in and/or creating impact in the following locations:
- Global: China, Germany, Mexico, Romania, South Africa, United Kingdom (includes Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland),
- United States: Atlanta, Memphis, Louisville, Detroit, Chicago, Kansas City, or Houston
- What You Are Looking For:
- You are looking for expert-guided entrepreneurial training, access to funding opportunities, and a wide-reaching mentorship network to enhance your leadership abilities and the impact of your venture.
- What You Will Accomplish:
- With the unwavering support of the Watson Institute team, you will receive a comprehensive roadmap to guide the growth and scalability of your work and impact. Additionally, you will facilitate an impactful workshop and training session (known as a Basecamp) in your community for your stakeholders, backed by a stipend, playbook, and team support to bring your vision to life.
This is a fully funded program thanks to the support of The Ford Motor Company Fund.
Application
Deadline: Monday, January 15th, 2024. Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis after the deadline
For more information, visit Watson Institute.
