2024 Western Union Foundation Fellowship

This fully-funded fellowship is for young entrepreneurs and community leaders who are from and/or working with highly marginalized, refugee, and forcibly displaced communities around the globe.

This transformative 16-week program empowers social entrepreneurs by providing them with essential skills and experience to enhance access to economic opportunities and accelerate their impact. Participants will have the chance to secure seed funding, foster community integration, navigate the changing landscape of work, and create a lasting impact in their communities.

Program Elements

• The Western Union Foundation Fellowship provides award-winning training, committed mentorship, and a powerful community of peers to equip Fellows with the tools and knowledge they need to support their venture’s continued development and impact.
  • Venture Acceleration and Leadership Training
  • Community and Network Building
  • Mentorship and Collaboration

What You Will Accomplish?

• With the unwavering support of the Western Union Foundation and 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.
• $36,000 in seed funding will be distributed among select Western Union Foundation Fellows based on progress and impact throughout the Fellowship. The program is part-time and is hosted virtually from August 8th, 2024 to November 19th, 2024.

Eligibility

• 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. They 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.

For more information, visit Watson Institute.