Deadline:
As soon as possible
Location(s)
Online
Overview
Yunus&Youth exists to make the challenge of social entrepreneurship easier. Y&Y was inspired by the work of Nobel Peace Prize winner Muhammad Yunus and his belief that companies and entrepreneurs can engage in business models that create real, sustainable social impact. People around the world struggle with social problems: some lack access to safe drinking water while others struggle with unemployment or insufficient health services (to name a few). Here is where social business comes in. These early stage start-ups drive social change because their founders are close to the problems they’re solving and the communities they’re helping. Like GreenChar in Kenya, where Y&Y Fellow Yina sells affordable charcoal briquettes that reduce the risk of contracting respiratory illnesses. Or Bella Handmade Jewelry, founded by Y&Y Fellow Walaa, which offers employment opportunities to women in refugee camps in Palestine. What makes social businesses unique is that they are for-profit, but they’re not profit-driven—they’re driven by their vision to improve society.
Details
Supporting Young Social Entrepreneurs
- One-On-One Mentorship: We match Fellows with professional mentors, who are successful business professionals ready to lend their expertise to help Fellows maximize their businesses’ growth potential.
- Online Learning Platform: Fellows receive a 6-month course in social business development. The step-by-step curriculum ensures that by the end, they will be ready to pitch to potential investors.
- A Global Network: Being a Y&Y Fellow means having a support network of experts, business leaders, institutions and other like-minded social entrepreneurs around the world. If Fellows need a connection, we’ll make it happen!
How It Works
The Yunus & Youth Fellowship Program is a six-month online program designed to empower young social entrepreneurs and to help them develop their full potential by strengthening their business models, helping them measure their social impact, and defining a scaling strategy.
- Mentoring Relationship: Fellows and mentors are matched based on the needs of the entrepreneur and the strengths of the mentor.
- Business Plan Development: Fellows join an exclusively curated learning journey designed to address their main needs and challenges.
- Final Online Pitch Competition: Fellows have the opportunity to enhance their storytelling and presentation skills by presenting their pitch to an online panel of real investors.
- Y&Y Alumni Community: Fellows who complete all mandatory assignments receive a certificate of graduation and join our exclusive network.
Step 1: We select bright individuals with innovative business ideas that tackle the world’s most pressing problems.
Y&Y Fellows are passionate young entrepreneurs running early-stage social businesses. They are visionaries, talented, eager, and proven drivers of change determined to fight major social issues.
Step 2: Once Fellows are selected, we connect them to experienced business experts that will support them on regular one-on-one mentoring sessions providing the support they need to start up, grow, become investment ready and create sustainable social impact.
Each stage of the curriculum takes Fellows through the next step of development. Our sustainable and wide-scale approach involves sets of activities based on lean start-up principles, allowing Fellows to execute a unique and valuable strategic position.
Step 3: We immerse Fellows in a social business training ground where they receive all the resources they need to develop a strong business plan.
Entrepreneurs have access to a wide-scale online platform involving sets of activities based on lean startup principles, each stage of the curriculum takes Fellows through the next step of development.
Step 4: The Fellowship Program ends with a Virtual Pitch Competition.
Entrepreneurs have the opportunity to work on developing their pitch decks and present them to real-life social impact investors during an online competition.
Opportunity is About
Eligibility
Candidates should be from:
Description of Ideal Candidate
Is the Y&Y Fellowship Program for you?
Early-stage startups have particular needs that need to be satisfied in order for them to grow. If your answer to any of the following questions is “yes”, you might be exactly what we are looking for in the Y&Y Fellowship Program.
- Do you need help refining your value proposition?
- Do you need help with your go-to-market strategy and access to potential customers?
- Do you need support with marketing as well as recruitment and other services associated with rapid growth?
- Do you need help building financial projections, statements and controls?
Am I qualified?
Y&Y Fellows are selected based on the following criteria:
- Demonstrated dedication and commitment to building a social business and solving a social issue in their community;
- Willingness to receive professional guidance and to work hard to grow and develop their social business;
- Being the founder, co-founder or having full decision-making power in the organization;
- Fluency in English;
- Generally between 18-30 years old with a few exceptions made for outstanding applicants over the age of 30.
Dates
Deadline: As soon as possible
Cost/funding for participants
What you receive
- Mentorship
- Supportive Peers
- Expert Webinars
- Just the Right Resources
- Recognition
- Connections
- Professional Support
- Growth
Un-save Opportunity
Internships, scholarships, student conferences and competitions.
