The Legatum Center at MIT presents the Foundry Fellowship, a first-of-its-kind leadership program for Africa-based founders who have scaled innovation-driven companies and find themselves at an inflection point in their entrepreneurial journey.

Warren Bennis once said that leadership is the capacity to translate vision into reality. Leaders are people who dream big dreams and find ways to bring them to life.

We think that it is safe to say that all entrepreneurs are leaders but not all leaders are entrepreneurs. The entrepreneurial journey requires sacrifice and resilience in order to attain success.

In life, a person can only feed on a full cup. The journey is often lonely and can be exhausting at times and in order for one to maintain performance at an optimum level, it is important to take time off to recharge and focus on individual growth.

About the Foundry Fellowship

The Foundry is a place where Fellows consider their present and future leadership roles as entrepreneurs, investors, and thought leaders building entrepreneurship and innovation-led ecosystems.

Launched in 2021, the Foundry Fellowship will bring together leaders who have demonstrated a commitment to bringing about change through entrepreneurship and are ready to build the leadership skills to carry them into the next phase of their entrepreneurial journey.

The Fellowship is open to entrepreneurs from Africa who have founded and scaled for-profit innovation-driven companies on the African continent, with a preference for entrepreneurs operating in Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, and Uganda.

 Apply Today! The deadline is June 17, 2021, at 11:59 PM EDT.

Application Requirements: 

The Legatum Center invites candidates who meet the following criteria to apply:

• Have founded and scaled for-profit innovation-driven companies* on the African continent, with a preference for founders of companies with operations in Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, and Uganda;
• Applicants who have founded and scaled a company outside of Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, or Uganda should have a demonstrated interest in supporting economic growth in the market(s) of at least one of the aforementioned seven countries;
• Have a demonstrated interest in supporting entrepreneurship ecosystems on the African continent;
• Are at an inflection point in their entrepreneurial journey and are considering the next phase;
• Are prepared to dedicate time and space for their own self-discovery and leadership development to achieve the next milestone;
• Are able to participate in regular online sessions and cohort activities, from September 2021 through March 2022 (note: additional time is required for readings and exercises)
• Are able to commit to a three-week in-person session in April 2022.
• Founders from the same company may apply, but each founder must complete a unique application. Each founder will be considered independent of a co-founder.
• MIT alumni and current degree candidates are welcome to apply.

About Legatum Center

The Legatum Center was founded on the belief that entrepreneurs and their market-driven solutions are critical to advancing economic and social progress in the developing world. While global prosperity has increased in recent decades, the progress is uneven, with the worst deprivations concentrated in specific parts of the globe. The Center drives more inclusive prosperity by building pathways for the next generation of change agents who, through principled entrepreneurial leadership, will create good jobs, transform systems, and improve lives.

Community & How it Can Help with Entrepreneurial Loneliness in 2020

The supporters of the program include the Legatum Group, the Mastercard Foundation, HRH Princess Moudi Bint Khalid, and the Jacobs Foundation. They are a global community that is based at MIT, drawing on the Institute’s talent, networks, presence, and expertise to inspire and equip those who want to move their ideas toward scalable impact.

Their Principles of Operation build on the principles of the broader MIT entrepreneurship community. They build inclusive pathways within MIT and also between MIT and emerging market ecosystems. These not only support entrepreneurs on the ground, but they also fuel research and thought leadership.

Are you at that point in your entrepreneurship journey where you feel like you are ready to take the next step and hit the next milestone?  Apply Today! The deadline is June 17, 2021, at 11:59 PM EDT.

Feature image courtesy.