The Watson Institute is launching a fully-funded Venture Accelerator program for next-generation entrepreneurs with the skills, resources, and experience to scale the impactful ventures they are building.
Fellows will learn advanced skills in entrepreneurship and leadership, have the opportunity to earn seed funding (up to $6,000), garner experience, and build a global network, as they lay the foundation to empower many more individuals and transform their communities. This program is offered with virtual and in-person components.
Watson Institute is a place where next generation entrepreneurs and leaders can find their community, discover their calling, and accelerate their careers. They provide the tools, network, mindset, and courage for the next generation to solve the toughest challenges facing the world, launch successful careers, and lead impactful lives.
Watson Institute has locations in Boulder, Colorado, and at Lynn University in Boca Raton, Florida and runs accelerators for leading corporations including Ford Motor Company Fund and Western Union Foundation. They are now building partnerships with innovative corporations and institutions of higher education in the US and globally.
Bean Voyage is a feminist non-profit social enterprise that collaborates with smallholder women coffee producers and their families to build a more equitable and sustainable coffee value chain.
With over 400 scholars and alumni representing almost 70 countries, they have raised over $175 million, created over 1,500 part or full-time jobs, and impacted over 5 million people around the world through initiatives they help lead. Watson Institute Alumni have been selected to Y Combinator, the Echoing Green Fellowship, and six have been named to the Forbes 30 Under 30 lists. Alumni continue their education at Harvard University, Princeton University, and Oxford Saïd’s Business School.
The Watson Institute students “major in their mission” as they obtain a Bachelor of Science in Social Impact and Entrepreneurship from Lynn University. They intern at leading corporations and nonprofits while developing the skills to lead successful careers or even launch their own ventures.
The Watson Institute Venture Accelerator is a 16-week program designed for impact-driven entrepreneurs seeking to elevate their ventures with access to a global network, training designed to strengthen skills, and mentorship with seasoned professionals, venture capitalists, and executives. The program will kick off with an in-person Immersive in Boulder, Colorado from July 20th – July 28th. The remaining 14 weeks is virtual and provides award-winning training, committed mentorship, and a powerful community of peers for next-generation entrepreneurs to advance their impact-focused ventures and lives. The time commitment for the 14 weeks is approximately 6–8 hours per week. This program is designed to complement the entrepreneurs’ existing venture work, allowing them to implement learnings in real-time.
Eligible participants will be entrepreneurs leading an early-stage social impact venture with demonstrated impact metrics and traction, those able to commit to the 16-week program including the in-person Immersive in Boulder, Colorado and can be from any geographical location with a preference to applicants from the USA, Brazil, China, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, and Tanzania.