Western Union Foundation Fellowship Program is a venture and leadership accelerator program for entrepreneurs and community leaders from extremely marginalized, refugee, and forcibly displaced populations worldwide. The fellowship is a fully-funded virtual and global program intended to provide the next-generation entrepreneurs and leaders with the knowledge and expertise they need to enhance access to economic opportunity, establish valuable networks and resources, and transform their communities.
Host: Western Union | Watson Institute
Eligible Countries: All Countries
Benefits :
- Full Sponsorship
- $36,000 (seed funding)
Deadline: June 1, 2024
Eligibility Criteria:
Applicants must meet the following requirements :
- Who You Are: You are an entrepreneur or community leader from and working with highly marginalized, refugee, and forcibly displaced communities around the globe.
- What You Do: You are leading an early-stage social impact venture or community initiative with a proven track record of impact, entrepreneurship, and leadership in their community. We define early-stage ventures as those that have a working prototype/ MVP product or service with active customers or beneficiaries and demonstrated impact and revenue. Ideally, you are exploring your product-market fit.
- Where You Create Impact: Applicants from or are working in the following countries will be given priority: Argentina, Bangladesh, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, India, Japan, Lithuania, Mexico, Nigeria, Pakistan, Philippines, Uganda, United Kingdom,United States
- What You Are Looking For: You are looking for expert-led entrepreneurial training, access to funding opportunities, and a vast network of mentorship to accelerate your leadership skills and venture impact.
- What You Will Accomplish: With the support of the Watson Institute team, you will gain a roadmap of how to grow and scale your work and impact. In addition, you will create impact through the facilitation of an impact workshop and training (called a Basecamp)in your community and for your stakeholders. You will receive a stipend, playbook, and team support to make this happen.
Duration and Reward
- Dates: August 8th, 2024 to November 19th, 2024 (16 weeks of programming).
- Format: Weekly virtual workshops with localized gatherings and events when possible (6-8 hours per week per week time commitment)
- Immersive & Orientation: 2-week virtual Immersive starting October 2nd, 2023 (20–25 hours per week time commitment)
- Workshops & Training: Modules include Foundations, Data & Metrics, Go-To-Market, Funding, Team Management, and Pitch
- Impact Series: The world’s foremost leaders, entrepreneurs, and practitioners are invited to our programs to share their entrepreneurial journey and experience as well as mentor the Watson Institute and Fellows.
- Basecamp: 2+ day workshops designed to Fellows’ communities to ideate solutions, design business models, and compellingly communicate their businesses and organizations to an external audience.
- Summit: Culminating community event where Fellows pitch to local leaders, funders, and entrepreneurs (February 13, 2024)
- Seed Funding: $36,000 in seed funding will be distributed among select Western Union Foundation Fellows based on progress and impact throughout the Fellowship.