The Legatum Center for Development and Entrepreneurship at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) was founded on the belief that entrepreneurs and their market-driven solutions are critical to advancing sustainable prosperity across global growth markets.
The Foundry Fellowship embodies this belief through its creation of a community of Africa-based entrepreneurs who share a vision for a continent where people, ideas, and resources move across borders, and where ecosystems enable innovation-driven entrepreneurs to thrive and scale. This community plays a critical role in shifting the narrative of Africa to one of abundance, opportunity, innovation, and dynamism.
The Foundry Fellowship is a six-month, transformative experience for accomplished entrepreneurs who are committed to leading the acceleration and interconnection of Africa’s innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystems.
The fellowship is designed for entrepreneurial leaders who seek to catalyze systems transformation and inclusive growth across Africa. Applicants choose to apply to the fellowship for the following reasons: 1) they have had success in scaling an innovation-driven business, 2) are at an inflection point in their leadership journeys, and 3) want to identify ways to support the growth and evolution of the entrepreneurship and innovation ecosystems across Africa.
The fellowship is a cohort-based program, with 10 fellows accepted into the cohort each year. Going through the fellowship as a cohort gives fellows the supportive context to move beyond current inflection points to define the next stage in their entrepreneurial and leadership journeys. The small number of fellows in each cohort, the emphasis on a selective profile, and the unique curation of the curriculum, leads to a learning environment that is highly supportive for deep transformation.
The curriculum includes personal leadership seminars, coursework with MIT faculty, and experiential tours of four innovation ecosystems (cities) as a cohort. Together, this combination prepares fellows to lead initiatives that accelerate the development of ecosystems both within their home markets and throughout the continent.
ELIGIBILITY
The fellowship is open to Africa-based founders who have:
- Founded and scaled a for-profit, innovation-driven company, AND
- Who are now at an inflection point and are preparing to transition into leadership in one of the following ways:
- By transitioning from running your innovation-driven enterprise to taking on a new leadership role within the ecosystem; for example, you may be launching a venture capital fund, starting an accelerator, or pursuing a path in policymaking;
- By founding a venture or support organization that will specifically help build innovation and entrepreneurial ecosystems across Africa;
- By expanding your innovation-driven enterprise across the continent, and through that expansion, focus on ecosystem development to reach your growth goals.
DEADLINE: July 7, 2023
To apply and for more information, apply here.
){kind=link}