Deadline: 15-Jun-21
The Initiators Fellowship is a big, bold strategy that provides the next generation of regional leaders the opportunity to use their entrepreneurial spirit to address society’s needs while building the business and leadership capacity of Greater Minnesota.
It seeks strong diversity in its candidates, which may include recent college graduates and/or established, skilled workers who need time and support to explore their entrepreneurial ideas.
The Fellowship is designed for idea and early operations stage, high-potential leaders and entrepreneurs who are eager to tackle a social challenge and pursue leadership growth. In addition to an annual $30,000 stipend, Fellows benefit from supportive programming, educational opportunities and a resource-rich ecosystem of experts, including dedicated staff and mentors.
They welcome social entrepreneurs from all walks of life who generally are in the first few years of building their enterprise. Fit for the program is based on individual character, the drive to create and innovate, and the potential impact that the applicant’s social enterprise venture and community leadership could have on their community and the wider region.
Funding information
- A $30,000 annual stipend for two years; $60,000 in total funding.
- A $3,000 yearly allocation for technical assistance and professional development; $6,000 total.
Eligibility Criteria
Most individuals who are in the process of starting a social enterprise are eligible to apply, as long as they meet the criteria below. There is no nomination process; applications will be publicly available online. Eligible applicants:
- Must be at least 18 years old by the start of the Fellowship cycle.
- Can be a recent college graduate, a young professional, mid-career or in their encore years.
- Can be in a partnership enterprise, but only an individual partner with controlling interest may apply to the Fellowship.
- Cannot be immediate family of any current board or staff members of the four Minnesota Initiative Foundation program partners. Immediate family includes spouse, parent, grandparent, great grandparent, child, grandchild, great grandchild, and spouses of children, grandchildren and great grandchildren.
- Must live and work in and their social enterprise must serve one of the four Minnesota Initiative Foundation regions covered by the Fellowship, or within a tribal nation adjacent to one of the four defined regions. We’re looking for individuals committed to Greater Minnesota’s rural renewal.
- Must have English-language proficiency; all programming will take place in English.
- Must be eligible for work in the United States. Can be United States citizens, nationals, lawful permanent residents or persons legally residing within the region and who have the following immigration status: refugee, asylee, temporary protected status (TPS) or deferred action for childhood arrivals (DACA) status. If you aren’t sure if you are eligible to apply based on your immigration status, please reach out to us to discuss further.
- Come with diverse backgrounds experiences, ability, economic status, and perspectives. Women, non-binary people, minorities, people with disabilities and veterans are strongly encouraged to apply. Diversity is a core program value.
For more information, visit https://greaterminnesota.net/fellows/