Deadline: June 1, 2024.

The Western Union Foundation Fellowship is a leadership and venture development program for entrepreneurs and community leaders from and/or working with highly marginalized, refugee, and forcibly displaced communities around the globe. This virtual and global program is designed to equip next-generation entrepreneurs and leaders with the skills and experience to increase access to economic opportunity, build valuable networks and resources, and transform their communities.

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

• Who You Are:
  • You are an entrepreneur or community leader from and/or working with highly marginalized, refugee, and forcibly displaced communities around the globe.
  • You have an entrepreneurial spirit, a growth mindset, and are driven to grow as an effective leader within your community. The ideal venture stages for this fellowship are Problem-Solution Fit or Product-Market Fit phases, with engaged customers or beneficiaries, and demonstrated outcomes in both impact and revenue.
  • You are able to commit to the 16-week program including a 2-week virtual immersive. We prioritize individuals who are fully committed to actively participating in the entire  program. At the heart of the program is a strong sense of community, and its success hinges on the active engagement and enthusiasm of all participants, who are eager to both learn and share.
  Where You Create Impact: Applicants located in and/or creating impact in the following locations:
  • United States, Uganda, Nigeria, Pakistan, Bangladesh, India, United Kingdom, Germany, Lithuania, Japan, Philippines, Colombia, Mexico,  Costa Rica, Argentina, Brazil.
  • Preference is given to applicants from the following locations: Uganda, Colombia, Mexico, Pakistan and the 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.

PROGRAM DETAILS/BENEFITS

• Dates: August 8th, 2024 to November 19th, 2024 (16-weeks of programming).
• Format: Weekly virtual workshops with localized gatherings and events when possible (8-10 hours per week time commitment). Sessions are held Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 8:30am – 10:30am in Mountain Time Zone (GMT-6).
• Immersive & Orientation: 2-week virtual Immersive starting August 8th, 2024 (20–25 hours per week time commitment).
• Training: Weekly expert-led modules covering Foundations, Data & Metrics, Go-To-Market, Funding, Team Management, and Pitch.
• Impact Series: Renowned leaders, entrepreneurs, and practitioners join the fellowships we empower to share their entrepreneurial journey and experience, as well as mentor the Fellows.
• Basecamp: 1-3 day Fellow-led workshops hosted in each Fellow’s community, to ideate solutions, design business models, and compellingly communicate their businesses and organizations to an external audience.
• Summit: Culminating celebratory event, where select Fellows pitch to local and global leaders, potential funders, and renowned entrepreneurs (November 19th, 2024).
• Venture Development Stipend: A pool of $36,000 in venture development stipends will be distributed among select Western Union Foundation Fellows, based on progress and impact throughout the Fellowship.
• This is a fully-funded program thanks to the support of the Western Union Foundation.

Find more information on the OFFICIAL LINK