Deadline: December 1, 2026.

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.

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

They seek participants who are:

• Committed to developing their entrepreneurial mindset
• Ready to make the most of the program’s resources and mentorship
• Willing to dedicate at least 10 hours per week to their entrepreneurial journey

The program is fully virtual and can be completed at your own pace over the 8-month program cycle, but participants must meet assignment deadlines to advance through the program phases.

Applicants who are not fluent in English are still encouraged to apply. You can:

• Form a team with someone who can meet the English-language requirements, or
• Work with your university or local organizations to access language support and resources.

BENEFITS

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

• 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.
• 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.
• 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.

Find more information on the OFFICIAL WEBSITE