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.
About Queen’s University
Queen's University at Kingston (commonly shortened to Queen's University or Queen's) is a public research university in Kingston, Ontario, Canada. Founded on 16 October 1841 via a royal charter issued by Queen Victoria, the university predates Canada's founding by 26 years. Queen's holds more than 1,400 hectares (3,500 acres) of land throughout Ontario and owns Herstmonceux Castle in East Sussex, England. Queen's is organized into ten undergraduate, graduate and professional faculties and schools.... read more... read more
Jim Leech Mastercard Foundation Fellowship on Entrepreneurship
| Application Deadline | 04 Dec 2023 |
| Country to study | Canada |
| School to study | Queen's University |
| Type | Fellowship |
| Sponsor | Queen’s University |
| Gender | Men and Women |
Aim and Benefits of Jim Leech Mastercard Foundation Fellowship on Entrepreneurship
Best-in-class 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
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
Examples include:
- In 2020-2022, 60% of the cohort identified as women, and we strongly encourage women to apply to the program as we recognize the additional barriers women face when accessing employment or venturing into entrepreneurship.
- In 2021-2022, the courses were adapted to be accessible by those with limited internet access, from downloading content to language support for French speaking students
- All Queen's University badges earned in the course are free of cost and all badges and certificates are available online so that students can retrieve them anywhere, at any time, and easily share the details of their achievements. The certificates and badges have a unique ID that will be kept as a permanent record using Blockchain technology.
- Each participant receives direct access to a program coach to provide support and a group of over 15 mentors in the completion of the course.
Requirements for Jim Leech Mastercard Foundation Fellowship on Entrepreneurship Qualification
- We 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, we can help you.
- We are 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.
Interview date, Process and Venue for Jim Leech Mastercard Foundation Fellowship on Entrepreneurship
Program Timeline
Phase 1: Explore (January-February)
1000+ exceptional candidates receive access to a curated list of online entrepreneurship courses and work through the first 11 steps of the Disciplined Entrepreneurship framework workbook. Candidates have several months to demonstrate their commitment to the entrepreneurial process by completing the training and progressing on their ideas' respective milestones.
Phase 2: Ignite (March-April)
180+ finalists with an outstanding commitment to the entrepreneurship process, who will have excelled at the milestones set out in phase one will be selected to join this phase. Under this phase, they will continue to go through an additional curated list of additional online entrepreneurship courses and work through the remaining steps of the Disciplined Entrepreneurship framework's workbook. At the end of this phase, the participants will pitch their ideas, competing for the fellowship, and the most advanced and promising business ideas will become the finalists who receive the fellowship.
Phase 3: Launch and Fellowship (May-August)
Up to 60 Fellows will be selected to join DDQIC's summer incubation program. During this phase, Fellows will get the opportunity to work on their ideas, access seed funding, and participate in weekly 3-2-1 pitch presentations about the work they are doing as they transform their ideas into scalable startups. In addition, Fellows will receive a $500 stipend and dedicated coaches and mentors from DDQIC’s Global Network of industry experts and entrepreneurs. Fellows will have the opportunity to compete in a pitch competition for more seed funding at the end of the program.
Graduation (August)
Startup entrepreneurs (Fellows) will complete their incubation program at the end of August. After graduation, Fellows will continue to receive post-incubation services, support, and pitch competition opportunities as part of DDQIC’s network.
High-performing Fellows will be invited to participate as ambassadors and mentors for future Jim Leech Mastercard Foundation Fellowships as well.
Application Deadline
December 4, 2023How to Apply
Interested and qualified? Go to Queen’s University on queensu.qualtrics.com to applyFor more details, visit Queen's University website.
