Applications for the program are now closed.
Chelsea Dade, 2025 Alumna
Elevating impact-driven entrepreneurs with global networks, Watson Institute’s signature curriculum, and intensive mentorship to scale ventures that transform communities worldwide.
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The Fellowship Offers
The Flagship Fellowship is Watson Institute’s signature entrepreneurial and leadership development program, which includes a curriculum that has supported hundreds entrepreneurs worldwide. This fully-funded 16-week program brings together impact entrepreneurs for intensive training, committed mentorship, connections to capital, and a global peer community. The program begins with a virtual Immersive where Fellows from diverse backgrounds and sectors unite to tackle the world’s most pressing challenges.
Business & Leadership Workshops
Participate in Watson Institute’s signature curriculum with hands-on sessions focused on entrepreneurship, business acumen, and financial literacy led by expert practitioners who are successful entrepreneurs themselves.
Financial Tools & Resources
Access practical financial tools, frameworks, and workshops designed to strengthen your venture’s financial foundation. Benefit from the expertise of practitioners and Watson Institute’s broader network of specialists supporting entrepreneurs at every stage.
Pitch Training
Develop and refine a professional, compelling pitch through dedicated training sessions. Fellows leave with a professionally recorded 3–4 minute pitch, serving as a versatile asset for funding applications, marketing efforts, and future presentations.
Experts You Will Learn From
We recruit experts and entrepreneurs with the specific expertise needed to best serve you. They are brought on to share their insights, facilitate our workshops, and provide 1-on-1 guidance. Preceptors from past Flagship Fellowship cohorts have included:
Brian Lee
Co-Founder @ Gildre & Roamli | 2X Exits | Advisor & Mentor
Terrance Range
Founder and Head of Product @ Myndful I Cultivating Growth through User-Centric Product Development
Cole Hoover
Designer of Impact Networks | Strategic Facilitator | Purpose Coach
Don’t take our word for it
Meet The Alumni
Shawn Wall is the Founder and Executive Director of World at Hand, a nonprofit expanding global learning opportunities for underserved students. Since 2020, Shawn has guided 250+ students from low-income and underrepresented backgrounds to study abroad, securing $50,000 in grants and partnerships with organizations like the Institute of International Education and EF Education First. Through programs offering early exposure, online travel learning, passport support, scholarships, and post-travel professional development, he dismantles financial and systemic barriers, helping students develop leadership skills, global perspectives, and life-changing opportunities. Shawn leverages nearly a decade of international experience to build pathways that connect students across urban and rural communities, fostering long-term equity in global education.
Sarene Alsharif is the founder of Tad More Tailoring, a sustainable fashion venture reducing textile waste by making alterations and repairs accessible online. Through services ranging from mail-in tailoring to white-label partnerships with fashion brands, Tad More Tailoring extends the life of garments while creating jobs and training the next generation of sewing professionals. Since 2018, the company has completed 109,000+ alterations, diverting 136+ tons of textiles from landfills, preventing 1.49M lbs of CO₂ emissions, saving 218M gallons of water, generating $780K+ in revenue, and creating 18 jobs. Featured on TEDx and national platforms, Sarene is redefining fashion care as a scalable solution for both environmental sustainability and economic opportunity.
Roberto Garcia is the co-founder of Whynda, a peer-to-peer rental marketplace modernizing the heavy machinery and construction equipment industry. Whynda streamlines the rental process for contractors while helping equipment owners generate income, reducing project delays, costs, and inefficiencies. Since launching in 2023, Roberto has raised $20K in early funding, built a six-person team, and secured 200+ LOIs from equipment owners committed to joining the platform. With experience as a product manager in maritime, HR tech, and fintech, he has led global platform development and AI-driven automation tools. Through Whynda, Roberto aims to expand access to equipment, create jobs, and empower contractors, farmers, and low-income workers with new revenue opportunities in construction.
This is a fully-funded program thanks to our generous partners and consists of a variety of individual Fellowships. Each Fellowship is tailored to address specific social impact areas or has a geographical specification.
