Jim Leech Mastercard Foundation Fellowship On Entrepreneurship 2021 For Young Africans

The Jim Leech Mastercard Foundation Fellowship on Entrepreneurship 2021 is now open to applications for students and recent graduates in Africa. It is open to those who desire to solve pressing problems and bring entrepreneurial ideas to life.

If you apply, this initiative will give you the confidence, resources, knowledge, network, and financial support to build a startup with an impact.

See Also: Startup North-East 2020 Virtual Incubation Program For Nigerian Startups

The Proven Winning Formula:

Combining students and recent grads with a willingness to learn, take risks and commit themselves fully with best-in-class entrepreneurship training from the Dunin-Deshpande Queen’s Innovation Centre.

The result? Leaders with the exceptional entrepreneurial skillset and mindset to drive social and financial impact

What To Expect

Some of the things to expect in this program include;

Best-in-class Training:

1. Business Bootcamp will be delivered by Queen’s University faculty and industry leaders. These are people who bring decades of combined entrepreneurship and C-Suite experience
2. The Discipline Entrepreneurship Framework, a proven step-by-step framework for scalable startups will be developed at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
3. Pitch coaching and mastery
4. Certificate awarded for 100% completion of DDQIC’s essential entrepreneurship training modules

Global Visibility And Network:

1. Liaise with mentors and speakers leading innovation and entrepreneurship in North America
2. You’ll access a Global Network of Queen’s entrepreneurial alumni
3. You’ll join a cohort of thousands of like-minded students and recent grads from across Africa

Mentorship:

1. Together with other fellows, you will be matched to industry leaders and entrepreneurs in the final phase of the program
2. You’ll receive feedback at important startup milestones

Financial Support

1. 15 Fellows will receive a stipend of $500 CAD
2. Opportunities to pitch for funding in Dunin-Deshpande Queen’s Innovation Centre seed funding competitions.

See Also: Women’s Economic Empowerment Accelerator 2021 For Social Enterprises

Jim Leech Mastercard Foundation Fellowship On Entrepreneurship 2021 Program Timeline

The entire program will be in four phases;

Phase 1: Explore – December 2020 – February 2021

Firstly, 1000 exceptional candidates will receive access to a curated list of online entrepreneurship courses and work through the first 11 steps of the Disciplined Entrepreneurship Framework workbook. Also, candidates have several months to demonstrate their commitment to the entrepreneurial process by completing the training and progressing on their ideas’ respective milestones.

Phase 2: Ignite – February –April 2021

Then, 30 finalists with an outstanding commitment to the entrepreneurship process who will have excelled at the milestones set out in phase one will be selected to join this phase. Under this phase, they will continue to go through an additional curated list of additional online entrepreneurship courses and work through the remaining steps of the Disciplined Entrepreneurship Framework’s workbook. At the end of this phase, the participants will pitch their ideas, competing for the fellowship, and the most advanced and promising business ideas will become the finalists who will receive the fellowship.

Phase 3: Jim Leech Mastercard Foundation Fellowship on Entrepreneurship – April – August 2021

15 Fellows will be selected to join DDQIC’s summer incubation program. During this phase, Fellows will get the opportunity to work on their ideas, access seed funding, and participate in weekly 3-2-1 pitch presentations about the work they are doing as they transform their ideas into scalable startups. In addition, Fellows will receive a $500 stipend and dedicated coaches and mentors from DDQIC’s Global Network of industry experts and entrepreneurs.

Phase 4: Graduation – August 2021

Startup entrepreneurs (Fellows) will complete their incubation program at the end of August 2021. After graduation, Fellows will continue to receive post-incubation services, supports, and pitch competition opportunities as part of DDQIC’s network. Fellows will receive invites to participate as ambassadors and mentors for future Jim Leech Mastercard Foundation Fellowship as well.

See Also: Commonwealth Secretary-General’s Innovation For Sustainable Development Awards 2021 (£3,000) In Prize

The deadline for application for the Jim Leech Mastercard Foundation Fellowship on Entrepreneurship 2021 is November 30, 2020. Are you interested in this opportunity? Use this link to apply; https://www.queensu.ca/innovationcentre/jim-leech-fellowship

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