The Jim Leech Mastercard Foundation Fellowship is open for young African graduates. Free virtual entrepreneurship training and an opportunity to receive startup funding are available to more than 1,000 aspiring entrepreneurs through the Jim Leech Mastercard Foundation Fellowship on Entrepreneurship for African Students at Queen’s University. The fellowship will be held online. 

The Dunin-Deshpande Queen’s Innovation Centre delivers the program at Queen’s University. Participants receive access to a curated list of virtual entrepreneurship courses, one-on-one coaching, and mentorship as they develop and launch their business ideas.

The program's outcomes are to develop the entrepreneurial mindset of participants and create new job possibilities for African post-secondary graduates. In the 2023 post-program survey, 100 percent of the participants said the program was either “very” or “extremely” helpful to further a business venture. Eighty-four percent of the participants said their business had hired at least one youth since the beginning of the program. 

“Being part of this fellowship has been a turning point in both my entrepreneurial and personal life,” said Rawlings Grace Ogenyi, Founder of Gro-gel and 2023 Program Alumnus. “I’ve been inspired by fellow young entrepreneurs passionate about transforming their communities, which motivates me to persist despite setbacks. The mentorship from coaches and industry experts has driven significant progress in my venture. Their advice is invaluable as they understand the entrepreneurial journey firsthand.”

Around 70 Fellows are selected each year to attend the program’s final phase from May to August. Fellows receive a stipend of CAD 500 and the opportunity to pitch for more seed funding. To date, Fellows in the program have been awarded more than CAD 180,000.

The Jim Leech Mastercard Foundation Fellowship gives you the confidence, resources, knowledge, network, and financial support to build a startup with an impact.

For African students and recent grads who want to solve pressing problems and bring entrepreneurial ideas to life. 

The proven winning formula:

a) Combine students and recent grads willing to learn, take risks, and fully commit to best-in-class entrepreneurship training from the Dunin-Deshpande Queen’s Innovation Centre.

b) The result? Leaders with the exceptional entrepreneurial skillset and mindset to drive social and financial impact.

The benefits of the Jim Leech Mastercard Foundation Fellowship are:

BEST-IN-CLASS TRAINING:

1. Business Bootcamp delivered by Queen’s University faculty and industry leaders who bring decades of combined entrepreneurship and C-Suite experience

2. The Disciplined Entrepreneurship framework, a proven step-by-step framework for scalable startups developed at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology

3. Pitch coaching and mastery

4. Certificate awarded for 100% completion of DDQIC’s essential entrepreneurship training modules

GLOBAL VISIBILITY AND NETWORK:

1. Liaise with mentors and speakers leading innovation and entrepreneurship in North America

2. Access a Global Network of Queen’s entrepreneurial alumni

3. Join a cohort of thousands of like-minded students and recent grads from across Africa

MENTORSHIP:

1. Fellows are matched to industry leaders and entrepreneurs in the final phase of the program

2. Receive feedback at important startup milestones

FINANCIAL SUPPORT:

1. 15 Fellows will receive a stipend of CAD 500

1. Opportunities to pitch for funding in Dunin-Deshpande Queen’s Innovation Centre seed funding competitions

The Jim Leech Mastercard Foundation Fellowship is for African students and recent grads who want to solve pressing problems and bring entrepreneurial ideas to life. 

Duration of Award:

PHASE 1: EXPLORE – JAN -FEBRUARY 2024

One thousand exceptional candidates receive access to a curated list of online entrepreneurship courses and work through the first 11 steps of the Disciplined Entrepreneurship framework workbook. Candidates have several months to demonstrate their commitment to the entrepreneurial process by completing the training and progressing on their ideas’ milestones.

PHASE 2: IGNITE – MARCH-APRIL 2024

Thirty finalists with an outstanding commitment to the entrepreneurship process, who will have excelled at the milestones set out in phase one, will be selected to join this phase. Under this phase, they will continue to go through an additional curated list of online entrepreneurship courses and work through the remaining steps of the Disciplined Entrepreneurship framework’s workbook. At the end of this phase, the participants will pitch their ideas, competing for the fellowship, and the most advanced and promising business ideas will become the finalists who receive the fellowship.

PHASE 3: JIM LEECH MASTERCARD FOUNDATION FELLOWSHIP ON ENTREPRENEURSHIP – MAY-AUGUST 2024

15 Fellows will be selected to join DDQIC’s summer incubation program. During this phase, Fellows will get the opportunity to work on their ideas, access seed funding, and participate in weekly 3-2-1 pitch presentations about the work they are doing as they transform their ideas into scalable startups. In addition, Fellows will receive a $500 stipend and dedicated coaches and mentors from DDQIC’s Global Network of industry experts and entrepreneurs. 

GRADUATION – AUGUST 2024

Startup entrepreneurs (Fellows) will complete their incubation program at the end of August. After graduation, Fellows will continue to receive post-incubation services, support, and pitch competition opportunities as part of DDQIC’s network. Fellows will also be invited to participate as ambassadors and mentors for future Jim Leech Mastercard Foundation Fellowships.