Watson Institute Flagship Fellowship
Applications for the next cohort of this program will launch in Spring 2024
Meet the 2023 Fellows
The Watson Institute Flagship Fellowship is a 16-week program designed for impact-driven entrepreneurs seeking to elevate their ventures with access to a global network, training designed to strengthen skills, and mentorship with seasoned professionals, venture capitalists, and executives. The program will kick off with an in-person Immersive in Boulder, Colorado. The remainder of programming is virtual and provides award-winning training, committed mentorship, and a powerful community of peers for next-generation entrepreneurs to advance their impact-focused ventures and lives.
This is a fully-funded program thanks to the support of our Partners.
Details
- Duration: 16-week program with weekly programming.
- Format: The program launches with a 2-week Immersive (10–15 hours time commitment each week). For the remaining 14 weeks, the weekly time commitment is approximately 6–8 hours per week.
- Training: Weekly expert-led modules covering Foundations, Data & Metrics, Go-To-Market, Funding, Team Management, and Pitch.
- Summit: Culminating community event where select Fellows pitch to local leaders, funders, and entrepreneurs.
- Who You Are:
- You are an entrepreneur or community leader deeply committed to creating sustainable, scalable impact in your community.
- You are at the helm of a social impact venture or community endeavor in its initial stages, showcasing a history of making a difference.
- You have an entrepreneurial spirit, a growth mindset, and are driven to grow as an effective leader within your community. The ideal venture stage for this fellowship are those in the Problem-Solution Fit or Product-Market Fit phases, with engaged customers or beneficiaries, and demonstrated outcomes in both impact and revenue.
Sign Up for Updates Here
Program Elements
The Watson Institute Flagship Fellowship provides award-winning training, committed mentorship, and a powerful community of peers to equip Fellows with the tools and knowledge they need to support their venture’s continued development and impact.
On average each Fellow leading a venture impacts 32,130 individuals in their communities.
Watson Alumni are Making an Impact
Watson Institute’s 447 Alumni from 68 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. Watson alumni have been selected to Y Combinator, the Echoing Green Fellowship and Forbes’ 30 under 30 list, and continued their education at Harvard University, New York University, and Princeton University, among others
Mental Health
Tessa Zimmerman ’16 | Upstream Education
Tessa is the Founder and Executive Director of Upstream Education. Upstream Education is a nonprofit organization that trains and equips educators in bite-sized tools to help students reduce their stress and anxiety. Since 2016, ASSET has grown to impact 40,000+ students weekly.
Poverty
Ricardo Rocha ’18 | Upstream Education
Richardo is the CEO and Founder of Bondadosa. Bondadosa delivers healthy, affordable, and culturally appropriate groceries to primarily Hispanic families across Denver. Bondadosa has fulfilled over 180,000 orders in 2020 alone, created over 70 jobs, and raised over $720,000.
Environmental Sustainability
Carolina Sapienza Bianchi ’22 | Mudatuga
Carolina is the CEO & Founder of Mudatuga a startup that transforms regular people into composting ninjas. They offer educational workshops and a compost bin made in Portugal from a composite of cork residues and recycled polymer. Mudatuga has implemented environmental education projects and taught composting methods to over 1,900 people.
