Jim Leech Mastercard Foundation Fellowship on Entrepreneurship 2025

Fully Funded

Deadline: December 4, 2024

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November 3, 2024
8:04 pm

Call for Applications Jim Leech Mastercard Foundation Fellowship on Entrepreneurship

The Jim Leech Mastercard Foundation Fellowship on Entrepreneurship gives African students and recent graduates the opportunity to access training, resources, financial support and a network of mentors to develop their entrepreneurial skills and start building their own venture. The 8-month program develops the exceptional entrepreneurial skillset and mindset of leaders to drive social and financial impact.

They accept students and recent graduates from all academic disciplines, and from any African post-secondary institution. Whether you are already working on a business or you are looking to start something new, they can help you. The Jim Leech Mastercard Foundation is looking for participants who are committed to developing their entrepreneurial mindset and taking advantage of the resources provided to develop their own enterprise. The program is delivered virtually and can be completed at any pace, however the most committed participants will commit at least 10 hours per week. In order to progress through the program phases, participants will submit assignments online, adhering to strict deadlines.

The program content is delivered in English. Mentorship may be offered in English and French. Assignments and pitches must be completed in English. Prospective fellows who are unable to speak or write English are still encouraged to apply and form teams with someone who can fulfill all the requirements of the program in English. Prospective fellows may also work with their local university to come up with a strategy to make sure they are able to access university resources that will help them navigate the challenge related to language ability.

The Mastercard Foundation created these fellowships through an endowed donation to Queen’s University in honour of Jim Leech, former Chair of the Board of Directors of the Mastercard Foundation and Chancellor Emeritus of Queen’s University (14^thChancellor). In 2014, Mr. Leech was appointed a Member of the Order of Canada for his contributions as an innovator in pension management, for his writings about retirement funding, and for his community involvement.

Eligibility

The Jim Leech Mastercard Foundation Fellowship program accepts students and recent graduates from all academic disciplines, and from any African post-secondary institution. Whether you are already working on a business or you are looking to start something new, they can help you.
The Program is looking for participants who are committed to developing their entrepreneurial mindset and taking advantage of the resources provided to develop their own enterprises. The program is delivered virtually and can be completed at any pace, however, the most committed participants will commit at least 10 hours per week. In order to progress through the program phases, participants will submit assignments online, adhering to strict deadlines.

Benefits

We provide participants who demonstrate a willingness to learn, take risks, and commit themselves fully with the best that our innovation centre has to offer.

Training:

Business bootcamp delivered by Queen’s University faculty and industry leaders who bring decades of combined entrepreneurship and C-Suite experience
The Disciplined Entrepreneurship framework, a proven step-by-step framework for scalable startups developed at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Pitch coaching and mastery
Live workshops on marketing, goal setting, and recruiting are held throughout the program
Opportunity to earn micro-credentials on Entrepreneurship awarded by Queen’s University for successful completion the courses

Mentorship and Networking:

Liaise with mentors and speakers leading innovation and entrepreneurship in North America
Access a Global Network of Queen’s entrepreneurial alumni
Join a cohort of thousands of like-minded students and recent grads from across Africa
Fellows are matched to industry leaders and entrepreneurs in the final phase of the program
Receive feedback at important startup milestones

Our Mentors include:

Christine Kamala, founder of Christie’s Crisp
Kora Sabi Janvier, founder of Allo Veto
Oluwasegun Oluwaleti, founder of Water Boy
Duncan Asamoah, founder of Mr. Neat Company

and many others

Financial Support & Opportunities:

Up to 60 Fellows will be selected in the final phase to receive a stipend of $500 CAD
Opportunities to pitch for prizes of up to $15,000 CAD in the pitch competition at the end of the program
Opportunities to travel to the Dunin-Deshpande Queen’s Innovation Centre to build lasting connections that will help your further your business venture

Inclusivity:

We believe we do our best work when we tackle problems from diverse perspectives.

We are committed to eliminating barriers to entrepreneurship and making the program inclusive to as many people as possible. We are constantly iterating and improving the courses in response to user needs.

Eligible Regions: Africans

Application Process

Visit the application link and carefully follow the provided instructions.

For Further Queries: If you have a question you would like to ask, including admission queries, please use their official QA section on their website.

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