Western Union Foundation Fellowship for Young Entrepreneurs and Community Leaders in Refugeehood and Displaced Communities

Western Union Foundation Fellowship is accepting applications of young entrepreneurs and community leaders who are from and working with highly marginalized, refugee and forcibly displaced communities around the globe. This 16-week-long program is designed to equip these next-generation entrepreneurs and leaders with the skills and experience to increase access to economic opportunity, have the opportunity to earn seed funding, integrate into their communities, succeed in the evolving nature of work, and transform their communities. This program is offered with virtual and in-person components that allows fellows to take advantage of the global cohort while also focusing on creating local impact within their communities.

Program Structure:

Two-week intensive program which includes:

• Building Community: Community is one of the pillars of the Fellowship experience. A diverse cohort of young leaders and entrepreneurs form partnerships, collaborations, and further their growth and impact as leaders in their community.
• Skill Development: Including fundraising, team building, transformative communication, growth mindset, courage, resilience, creativity, and leadership. Fellows will be guided through the process of overcoming key challenges faced during the process of becoming transformative leaders and entrepreneurs.
• Basecamp Training: Each Fellow is trained and receives a stipend and logistical support to lead a three-day training (called Basecamp) in their home community to empower at least 25 additional entrepreneurial leaders.

The 14-week Fellowship:

• Leading an in-person/local Basecamp in their respective community. A stipend will be given for logistical and administrative costs.
• Joining a monthly All Hands on Deck meeting that includes skill development workshops and opportunities to build community amongst the cohort.
• Receive $1,000 in Seed Funding to launch/grow their ventures and initiatives.
• Regularly attending Master Courses with the world’s leading entrepreneurs and practitioners. Past Master Course Teachers include recognized leaders of Nobel Peace Prize winning movements, the youngest person to run for U.S. Congress, and the inventor of Google’s self-driving car.
• Joining a pod with other Fellows from their respective regions and checking in regularly with each other via one-on-one meetings.

• Fellows will be given a stipend and spend an additional 80-100 hours implementing a 3-day intensive program called Basecamp.
• $25,000 in seed funding will be distributed among the Western Union Foundation Fellows based on progress and impact throughout the Fellowship. 

• Next-generation high-promising entrepreneurs and community leaders who are from and working with highly marginalized, refugee, and forcibly displaced communities around the globe.
• Ideal applicants will join with relevant social impact and leadership experiences with proven experience of building community development projects within these communities.
• Western Union Foundation Fellows must be able to commit to be part of the 16-week program from January 17th to May 5th, 2023. There is a 2-week intensive (20-25 hours per week) followed by a 14-weeks of weekly programming (5-8 hours per week). 

About the Foundation:

For 20 years, the Western Union Foundation has invested in changing lives for the better. It continues to deliver against that mission with the Opportunity Beyond Borders commitment - a focus on empowering forcibly displaced and marginalized youth with the training and education needed to succeed in today’s technology-driven global economy.

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