The program is brilliantly structured to help busy entrepreneurs successfully go through the rigorous training schedule. One of the most beneficial elements of the program is access to a network of experienced coaches and mentors to rely on for practical advice relating to the enterprises.
Participants who demonstrate a willingness to learn, take risks, and commit themselves fully are provided with the best that our innovation centre has to offer.
The 8-month program develops the exceptional entrepreneurial skillset and mindset of leaders to drive social and financial impact.
Fact About Jim Leech Mastercard Foundation Fellowship Entrepreneurship
- Life-Changing Funding: The program offers a stipend of $500 CAD to selected fellows, providing crucial financial support to kickstart their entrepreneurial journey.
- Pitch Perfect: Fellows get to pitch for prizes of up to $15,000 CAD in the program’s pitch competition, a game-changing opportunity to secure seed funding.
- African Talent Unleashed: The fellowship exclusively supports African graduates, empowering the continent’s brightest minds to drive social and economic change.
- 8-Month Transformation: The intensive 8-month program equips fellows with exceptional entrepreneurial skills, mindset, and network to succeed.
- Virtual Freedom: The program’s virtual delivery allows busy entrepreneurs to learn at their own pace, from anywhere, with a minimum commitment of 10 hours/week.
- Mentorship Magic: Fellows gain access to experienced coaches and mentors providing guidance, support, and valuable industry insights.
- Language No Longer a Barrier: While the program is delivered in English, prospective fellows can form teams with English-speaking partners or access university resources to overcome language challenges.
- Diverse Talent Welcome: Graduates from all academic disciplines and African post-secondary institutions are eligible, fostering a rich and diverse community of innovators.
- Queen’s Innovation Centre Connection: Selected fellows travel to Canada’s renowned Dunin-Deshpande Queen’s Innovation Centre, forging lasting connections and networking opportunities.
- Unlimited Potential: With up to 60 fellowship spots available, the program has the potential to ignite a wave of entrepreneurial innovation across Africa, transforming lives, communities, and economies.
Rewards For 2025 Jim Leech Mastercard Foundation Entrepreneurship Fellowship
- Up to 60 Fellows will be selected in the final phase to receive a stipend of $500 CAD
- Opportunities to pitch for prizes of up to $15,000 CAD in the pitch competition at the end of the program
- Opportunities to travel to the Dunin-Deshpande Queen’s Innovation Centre to build lasting connections that will help your further your business venture
Eligibility For 2025 Jim Leech Mastercard Foundation Entrepreneurship Fellowship
To be considered for the Jim Leech Mastercard Foundation Fellowship on Entrepreneurship, you must be:
- graduates from all academic disciplines, and from any African post-secondary institution. Whether you are already working on a business or you are looking to start something new, we can help you.
- participants who are committed to developing their entrepreneurial mindset and taking advantage of the resources provided to develop their own enterprise. The program is delivered virtually and can be completed at any pace, however the most committed participants will commit at least 10 hours per week. In order to progress through the program phases, participants will submit assignments online, adhering to strict deadlines.
- The program content is delivered in English. Mentorship may be offered in English and French. Assignments and pitches must be completed in English. Prospective fellows who are unable to speak or write English are still encouraged to apply and form teams with someone who can fulfill all the requirements of the program in English. Prospective fellows may also work with their local university to come up with a strategy to make sure they are able to access university resources that will help them navigate the challenge related to language ability.
How To Apply For 2025 Jim Leech Mastercard Foundation Entrepreneurship Fellowship
Interested candidates should click on “Apply For This Scholarship” below
Fellow’s Success Stories
Judith Onza Eyoa
Judith Onza Eyoa, inspired by her father’s struggle to find suitable shoes for his walking disability, founded “AfriShoe Uganda” at the age of 25 with the support of the Jim Leech Mastercard Foundation Fellowship. This venture crafts affordable, durable, and customized footwear for individuals with walking disabilities in Uganda, using locally available materials.
Enoch Muwangezi
Enoch Muwangezi not only runs Ugabrush, but its parent company, Deploy Resource Africa, which oversees ventures that create eco-friendly products as they provide employment opportunities to the youths in the community.
Eunice Kloe
Since August 2021, BidiGreen Ghana, a smokeless charcoal production and distribution company in Ghana, has grown their team, mostly comprised of women, to increase the production and distribution of its charcoal briquettes.
Titose Chembezi
Titose Chembezi joined the 2021 JL MCF program to grow Altery, a digital platform that uses an innovative approach for SMEs and the informal sector to access credit. Titose won $10,000 at the Summer Pitch Competition, along with several other prizes to grow her company.
Since finishing the program, Titose is frequently featured on FinTech panels, won the Mandela Washington Fellowship, presents her research at conferences, and is becoming a leading figure in South Africa’s FinTech industry.
Titose has shifted focus to Nautilus, which provides strong, hardware-enforced, and remotely attestable guarantees of data and execution confidentiality. They help clients execute code over highly sensitive datasets without exposing the data while providing strong ownership, control, and privacy guarantees for data owners.
“The Final Pitch Competition experience was great exposure for me because it was the first time my team and I got to compete with ventures from Canada and won a prize. It taught me to move past the stigma that startups from the African continent may not be competent enough compared to the West and also gave me the courage to see the world as my oasis.”