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Sponsored by

BMO Fellowship

Equipping highly promising sustainability entrepreneurs driving solutions to their communities’ most significant environmental and sustainability challenges.

 

Applications for the program are now closed.

Meet the 2024 - 2025 Fellows
Sign Up For Updates Here

Tatiana Freeman, 2024 BMO Fellow

The BMO Fellowship is a fully-funded venture and leadership program designed to provide comprehensive support to highly promising, diverse environmental sustainability entrepreneurs and leaders. It offers award-winning training in entrepreneurship, sustainability, and leadership to help advance their environmental sustainability-focused ventures and actively contribute to solving their communities’ most pressing challenges. This Fellowship is specifically intended for individuals from historically underserved communities who possess lived experience with the challenges they are determined to address.

 

This program is fully-funded through the generous support of BMO.

Dates and Details

  • Dates: March 3rd to June 26th, 2025 (16 weeks of programming).
  • Format: Weekly virtual workshops, with localized gatherings and events when possible. The workshops are held on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays from 10:00 am to 12:00 pm Mountain Time Zone, requiring a 6-8 hours per week time commitment.
  • Immersive: A 2-week virtual immersive starts on March 3rd, 2025, requiring a time commitment of approximately 10-15 hours each week. This immersive serves as a foundational experience, setting the stage for the Fellowship’s community-oriented and cohort-driven journey.
  • Venture Development Stipend: Select Fellows have the potential to receive a venture development stipend of up to $6,000, contingent on their active participation in the program, leading a Basecamp, and successfully completing the workshop-related checkpoint assignments (eligibility requirements may vary depending on the Fellowship).

What You Will Accomplish

The BMO Fellowship powered by Watson Institute will provide you with a comprehensive roadmap to guide the growth and scalability of your work and impact. You will gain the skills to construct and refine your pitch and you’ll have the opportunity to present it at the high-profile Summit event. Additionally, you will facilitate an impactful workshop and training session (known as a Basecamp) in your community for your stakeholders, backed by a stipend, playbook, and team support to bring your vision to life.

Eligibility: Is This Fellowship for Me?

Here is who we are looking for.

Who you are:

You are a BIPOC, woman, or Indigenous entrepreneur or a community leader deeply committed to creating sustainable, scalable impact. Ideally, your venture is in the space of environmental sustainability. You have an entrepreneurial spirit, a growth mindset, and are driven to grow as an effective leader.

Venture Stage:

You are an impact-driven entrepreneur with proven products, traction, and revenue. This Fellowship targets those in the ‘missing middle’ stage—entrepreneurs who have moved beyond prototyping but need support to grow. You lead a sustainability-focused social impact venture or community endeavor in its initial stages, showcasing a history of making a difference. Ideal candidates have demonstrated impact in their communities and are in the Problem-Solution Fit or Product-Market Fit stages, with engaged customers and measurable outcomes in both impact and revenue.

Commitment:

You are able to commit to the 16-week program including a 2-week virtual immersive. We prioritize individuals who are fully committed to actively participating in the entire program. At the heart of the program is a strong sense of community, and its success hinges on the active engagement and enthusiasm of all participants, who are eager to both learn and share.

Where You Are Creating Impact:

While BMO is located across North America, preference will be given to applicants from:

  • Arizona
  • California
  • Colorado
  • New Mexico

What You Are Looking For:

You seek expert-guided entrepreneurial training, a supportive community for feedback, a broad mentor network to enhance your leadership, and opportunities to challenge yourself by leading a Basecamp event and other initiatives that benefit your venture and community.

Demographics:

Adults 18 or Older.

Application Process

1. Applications Submitted: Complete the online application. This application should take approximately 45 minutes to fill out. The priority deadline for application submissions is January 19th, 2025. Applications will be reviewed and accepted on a rolling basis thereafter until the spots are filled.

2. First Round Review: Our Admissions Committee diligently reviews all applications, seeking entrepreneurs who demonstrate strong leadership qualities and ventures that are both innovative and scalable. Applications received after the deadline will be assessed on a rolling basis as needed.

3. Interview: Qualified applicants will receive invitations for a 20-minute one-on-one Zoom interview. This interview allows us to delve deeper into your motivations for pursuing the Fellowship and to gain a better understanding of your venture.

4. Admissions Committee Review: The most promising applicant profiles will be shared with our external Admissions Committee for their final review and selection.

5. Acceptances Announced: Notifications of acceptance will be sent out no later than February 17th, 2025.

6. Fellows Confirm & Enroll: The final step to complete your enrollment is to confirm your commitment to the program. Upon confirmation, you will receive an invitation to participate in a “Meet the Cohort Webinar” event leading up to the program’s commencement. The program begins on March 3rd, 2025.

On average, each Fellow leading a venture impacts 32,130 individuals in their communities.

Dominique Edwards, 2024 BMO Fellow

The Fellowship Offers:

The BMO Fellowship offers BIPOC, women, and Indigenous entrepreneurs and community leaders dedicated mentorship, award-winning training, and a vibrant peer community. Tailored for environmental sustainability-focused ventures, the Fellowship equips participants with the skills, insights, and networks needed to drive sustainable impact and growth in their communities.

Venture Acceleration & Leadership Training

Fellows will engage in weekly expert-led sessions covering:
• Foundations
• Data & Metrics
• Product Market Fit
• Funding
• Team Management
• Pitch

Community & Network Building

A diverse cohort of entrepreneurs, small business owners, and nonprofit founders will form partnerships, collaborations, and further their growth and impact during and after the program. Community building activities include:
• Engagement with Watson Institute Alumni
• Self-organized Fellow events
• Basecamp training and events

Mentorship & Collaboration

Renowned leaders, entrepreneurs, and practitioners join the fellowships to share their entrepreneurial journey and experience, as well as mentor the Fellows. Fellows are provided with multiple mentorship opportunities that include:
• Preceptor Advisory Board
• Impact Speaker Series
• Mentor Bonanza

Pitch Training & Summit

Throughout the program, Fellows will refine their pitch through guided sessions focused on crafting their story, showcasing impact, and effectively communicating their vision. The Summit is the culminating event where top Fellows pitch and present their ventures to local leaders, funders, and entrepreneurs. It’s a platform to catalyze change, forge partnerships, and unlock new opportunities for growth and impact.

Pay the Impact Forward: Empower Your Communities through Basecamps

Katie Haghighi, 2024 BMO Fellow, Basecamp: Accessibility to Sustainable Fashion

A Basecamp is a 1-3 day workshop hosted by fellows, designed to accelerate their impact, engage their community, provide networking opportunities, practice skill-building, and obtain valuable feedback to enhance their ventures. Each Basecamp invites approximately 30 participants to engage in dynamic workshops and community-building. Fellows receive a monetary stipend, a playbook, and team support to plan and facilitate their Basecamps.

As a key outcome of the BMO Fellowship, all Fellows will facilitate a Basecamp event during their time in the program.

Learn More

The Fellows are Making an Impact

Watson Institute Alumni from 81 countries have raised over $185 million in capital for their ventures, created over 1,900 part or full-time jobs, and impacted over 10 million people around the world through initiatives they help lead.  

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the eligibility for this program?

  • Ideal candidates are entrepreneurs, small business owners, or nonprofit leaders with 1 to 5 years of demonstrated traction leading  environmental and sustainability initiatives.
  • Your venture should be in the Problem-Solution or Product-Market Fit Stage, with engaged customers or beneficiaries, and demonstrated outcomes in both impact and revenue, including a track record of successfully raising funds.
  • You must commit to the 16-week program, including a two-week virtual Immersive, prioritizing active participation.
  • You are able to commit to attending a majority of the workshops that are hosted on Tuesdays, Wednesday, and Thursdays from 10:00 am to 12:00 pm MT.

What are the eligibility requirements for the Venture Development Stipend?

Fellows have the potential to receive a venture development stipend of up to $6,000, contingent on their active participation in the program, leading a Basecamp, and successfully completing the workshop-related checkpoint assignments (eligibility requirements may vary depending on the Fellowship). In addition, all Fellows are eligible to receive a $1,000 stipend to support the implementation of their Basecamp.

How selective is this program?

BMO Fellowship powered by Watson Institute receives a high volume of applications each year and has a 4.6% selectivity rate.

What do the in-person components entail?

Fellows facilitate a Basecamp event in their communities during their time in the program. They will also have the option to meet up with other Fellows.

What is the application review timeline?

We understand the substantial interest in the program and strive to provide prompt responses. Decisions will be dispatched during the week of February 17th, 2025. Your patience during this process is greatly appreciated.

Can I apply if my state is not listed under the priority states?

Unfortunately, we are not able to consider applications outside the geographies listed above. However, we run numerous programs a year and are likely to have an opportunity for you in the future. We encourage you to check back regularly and reach out to Watson Institute’s team members for more information. You can also visit our Impact Fellowships Page for more information.

I have another question and need assistance.

For all other questions, please reach out to Casey Field at casey@watson.is.

BMO, or Bank of Montreal, is one of Canada’s leading financial institutions, with a rich history dating back to 1817. As the 8th largest bank in North America, BMO offers a comprehensive range of banking and financial services to individuals, businesses, and institutions. With a focus on customer-centric solutions, BMO provides services such as personal and commercial banking, wealth management, investment banking, and capital markets activities, serving millions of customers across Canada, the United States, and around the world. In addition to its financial services, BMO is also dedicated to making a positive impact through philanthropy, with a specific focus on supporting sustainability initiatives. Launched in 2023, the two-year BMO Fellowship powered by Watson Institute will support highly promising, diverse entrepreneurs and leaders to advance their sustainability focused ventures and drive forward solutions to the most significant challenges facing our world; the BMO Fellowship will support 15 Fellows and at least 225 Basecamp Participants each year.