Deadline: December 4, 2022
Applications are open for the Jim Leech Foundation Mastercard Scholarship on Entrepreneurship 2023-2024. The Jim Leech Mastercard Foundation Entrepreneurship Scholarship 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 business.
The 8-month program develops the exceptional business mindset and skills of leaders to drive social and financial impact. The Jim Leech Mastercard Foundation Scholarship gives you the confidence, resources, knowledge, network, and financial support to build a startup with impact. For African students and recent graduates who want to solve pressing problems and bring entrepreneurial ideas to life, the program is divided into three online courses where you will learn the fundamentals of entrepreneurship, receive virtual mentoring, develop your own business idea and demonstrate your commitment to advance to the next course.
Benefits
Best in class workout
- Business bootcamp taught by Queen’s University faculty and industry leaders who bring decades of combined business 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 in Entrepreneurship awarded by Queen’s University for successful course completion
Mentoring and Networking
- Liaise with mentors and speakers leading innovation and entrepreneurship in North America
- Access a global network of entrepreneurial Queen alumni
- Join a cohort of thousands of like-minded students and recent graduates from across Africa
- Fellows are paired with industry leaders and entrepreneurs in the final phase of the program.
- Receive feedback on important startup milestones
Financial Support and Opportunities
- Up to 60 fellows will be selected in the final phase to receive a $500 CAD stipend
- Opportunities to pitch for prizes of up to $15,000 CAD in the pitching competition at the end of the program
- Opportunities to travel to the Dunin-Deshpande Queen Innovation Center to build lasting connections to help drive your business venture forward
inclusion
- They are committed to removing barriers to entrepreneurship and making the program inclusive to as many people as possible. They constantly iterate and improve courses in response to user needs.
Eligibility
- They accept students and recent graduates from all academic disciplines and from any African post-secondary institution. Whether you’re already working in a business or looking to start something new, they can help.
- They are looking for participants who are committed to developing their entrepreneurial mindset and taking advantage of the resources provided to develop their own business. The program is delivered virtually and can be completed at any pace, however the most committed participants will commit to at least 10 hours per week. To progress through the phases of the program, participants will submit assignments online, adhering to strict deadlines.
- The content of the program is delivered in English. Tutoring can be offered in English and French. Assignments and releases must be completed in English. Prospective scholars who are unable to speak or write English are encouraged to apply and team up with someone who can meet all program requirements in English. Prospective scholars can also work with their local university to come up with a strategy to ensure they can access university resources that will help them overcome their language ability challenge.
Request
Applications must be submitted by December 4, 2022 at midnight your local time.
- Phase 1: Explore Entrepreneurship January 2023 – February 2023
- Phase 2 – Ignite Entrepreneurship March 2023 – April 2023
- Phase 3 – Entrepreneurship Launch May 2023 – August 2023
For more information visit Jim Leech Foundation Mastercard Scholarship.
