The Ford Fund Fellowship is an intensive venture and leadership development program designed to empower entrepreneurs and community leaders to elevate the impactful ventures they are building. This fully-funded virtual program aims to equip these next-generation entrepreneurs with the essential skills and hands-on experience necessary to enhance their ventures, access invaluable networks and resources, and drive transformative change in their communities.
This is a fully-funded program thanks to the support of the Ford Motor Company Fund.
Benefits of the Program
- Venture Development Stipend: $40,000 in venture development stipends distributed among chosen Ford Fund Fellows based on their progress and impact throughout the Fellowship.
Eligibility
- Who You Are:
- You are an entrepreneur or community leader deeply committed to creating sustainable, scalable impact in your community.
- You are at the helm of a social impact venture or community endeavor in its initial stages, showcasing a history of making a difference. Ideally, your venture is in the space of mobility, transportation, or accessibility.
- You have an entrepreneurial spirit, a growth mindset, and are driven to grow as an effective leader within your community. The ideal venture stage for this fellowship are those in the Problem-Solution Fit or Product-Market Fit phases, with engaged customers or beneficiaries, and demonstrated outcomes in both impact and revenue.
- Where You Create Impact: Applicants located in and/or creating impact in the following locations:
- Global: China, Germany, Mexico, Romania, South Africa,United Kingdom (includes Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland)
- United States: Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Detroit, Houston, Kansas City, Louisville, Memphis
- If your location is not listed above, we encourage you to explore other fellowships powered by Watson Institute. We are currently recruiting for several impactful fellowship opportunities across a diverse range of locations.
- What You Are Looking For: You are looking for expert-guided entrepreneurial training, a community of entrepreneurs to give you feedback that improves your venture, and a wide-reaching mentorship network to enhance your leadership abilities and the impact of your venture.
- What You Will Accomplish: With the unwavering support of the Watson Institute team, you will receive a comprehensive roadmap to guide the growth and scalability of your work and impact. Additionally, you will facilitate an impactful workshop and training session (known as a Basecamp) in your community for your stakeholders, backed by a stipend, playbook, and team support to bring your vision to life.
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Application Process
1. Applications Submitted: Complete the online application. This application should take approximately 45 minutes to fill out. The final deadline for application submissions is January 15th, 2024.