Rising Leaders of Mexico Fellowship
Applications for the program are now closed.
Meet the 2024 Rising Leaders of Mexico Fellows
Evelyn Vazquez, Jose Reyes, and Diana Murrieta, 2024 Rising Leaders of Mexico Fellows
The Rising Leaders of Mexico Fellowship is a leadership and venture development program designed to equip rising social entrepreneurs from Mexico with the skills, resources, and experience to scale impactful ventures. Fellows will join a powerful community of peers by joining the Flagship Fellowship program alongside 30 other entrepreneurs to access mentorship from industry leaders, explore innovative solutions to pressing social challenges, receive tailored feedback on their ventures, and have the opportunity to earn a venture development stipend as they lay the foundation to empower individuals and transform their communities. The program will kick off with an in-person Immersive in Boulder, Colorado, United States.
This is a fully-funded fellowship thanks to the generous support of Watson Institute partners Robin Luff, Jane McConnell, TJ Heyman, Luciana Cordova, and Flourish Trust.
Dates & Details
- Dates: 16-week program with weekly programming.
- Format: The program launches with a 10-day Immersive, starting August 1st, 2024. Virtual sessions are held for the remaining 15 weeks of programming (weekly time commitment of 8–10 hours per week).
- Training: Fellows will engage in weekly expert-led sessions covering Foundations, Data & Metrics, Go-To-Market, Funding, Team Management, and Pitch.
- Impact Series: Renowned leaders, entrepreneurs, and practitioners join the fellowships to share their entrepreneurial journey and experience, as well as mentor the Fellows. See previous Impact Series Speakers here.
- Basecamp: Basecamp, a term coined by Watson Institute, refers to a 1-3 day Impact Workshop led by each Fellow in their community. Its purpose is to gather a minimum participant base, allowing Fellows to share their venture work, receive feedback, and network. Basecamps also offer participants a hands-on experience in exploring social impact through entrepreneurship.
- Summit: Culminating community event where Fellows pitch to local leaders, funders, and entrepreneurs.
Who You Are & What You Do:
- You are an entrepreneur or community leader deeply committed to creating sustainable, scalable impact in your community.
- You are located in Mexico, you have an entrepreneurial spirit, a growth mindset, and are driven to grow as an effective leader within your community. The ideal venture stages for this fellowship are Problem-Solution Fit or Product-Market Fit phases, with engaged customers or beneficiaries, and demonstrated outcomes in both impact and revenue.
- You can commit to the 16-week program including the in-person Immersive in Boulder, Colorado. 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.
Sign Up for Updates Here
What You Will Accomplish
With the unwavering support of the Watson Institute team, you will receive a comprehensive roadmap to guide the growth and scalability of your work and impact. Additionally, you will facilitate an Impactful Workshop (known as a Basecamp) in your community for your stakeholders, backed by a stipend, playbook, and team support to bring your vision to life.
Program Elements
The Rising Leaders of Mexico 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.
Pay the Impact Forward: Empower Your Communities through Basecamps
Grow your leadership skills, build local partnerships, and expand your impact by facilitating a Watson Institute Basecamp in your community.
Basecamp, a term coined by Watson Institute, refers to a 1-3 day Impact Workshop led by each Fellow. They are designed to help rising entrepreneurs and leaders from Fellows’ communities to ideate solutions, design business models, and compellingly communicate their businesses and organizations to an external audience. The Watson Institute team facilitates training workshops, shares the Watson Institute Basecamp curriculum and planning materials, and provides a financial stipend to help organize and facilitate Fellow-led Basecamps. Fellows are empowered through their training to tailor the Basecamp structure and outcomes to their desired participant community.
As a key deliverable of the Rising Leaders of Mexico Fellowship, all Fellows will facilitate a Basecamp event during their time in the program.
Fellows who have led successful Basecamps have unlocked opportunities for new partnerships, additional funding avenues, media exposure, and have created a ripple effect of deeper impact within their communities.
Learn More
On average, 610 unique participants are positively impacted through fellow-led Basecamps for each Rising Leader of Mexico Fellowship, illustrating the program’s capacity to engage and empower diverse communities.
Fellows are Making an Impact
Watson Institute’s 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. 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.
Technology
Humberto González’23, Mexico city, Mexico
abierTTo is a community that aims to democratize technology access, fostering entrepreneurship and driving extensive digital adoption among micro and nano businesses—the backbone of Latin America’s economy. Embracing a “collaborative digital sales model,” they foster neighborhood interactions, enabling sustainable growth for local businesses. Through this model, neighbors can initiate and expand their enterprises, forming a self- sustaining ecosystem. abierTTo is currently run by a team of four individuals and has a functional MVP available for download on major operating systems including iOS, Android, and Huawei.
Sustainability
Karime Guillen Libien’23, Mexico city, Mexico
Karime is a green-biotech by profession, entrepreneur by vocation, innovator and changemaker by passion.
Karime founded Rearvora to reinvent fully Sustainable circular personal care and cosmetic products out of organic waste. Since its inception in January 2023, Rearvora has transformed more than 50kg of organic waste, has been recognized by POSIBLE Fundación Televisa, a prominent Foundation in Mexico City, as one of the top 28 best ideas of 2023, and currently supplies their products to 4 hotels, 1 spa, and 1 hospital.
Community
Marian Myers’23, Mazatlán, Mexico
MazLocal encourages individuals to move to Sinaloa and to purchase local goods and products produced in the region. MazLocal is committed to addressing the negative stereotypes about the state being unsafe by highlighting how culturally diverse and rich the area is. To date, MazLocal has produced 300 videos featuring local businesses in Sinaloa.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the eligibility for this program?
- Your venture is in Problem-Solution or Product-Market Fit Stage, with engaged customers or beneficiaries, and demonstrated outcomes in both impact and revenue. This typically includes a track record of successfully raising funds through grants, investments, donations, or other means to support your ventures.
- You are able to commit to the 16-week program including the in-person Immersive in Boulder, Colorado starting on August 1st. We prioritize individuals who are fully committed to actively participating in the entire 16-week 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.
- You are available to attend the workshops that are hosted on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays from 9:00 am to 11:00 am Mountain Time, United States.
What are the eligibility requirements for the Venture Development Stipend?
Fellows have the potential to receive a venture development stipend of up to $3,000, 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 do the in-person components entail?
- Fellows will travel to Boulder, Colorado for a 10-day in-person immersive to build community and learn about key programmatic information.
- Fellows will facilitate a Basecamp event in their communities during their time in the program. They will also have the option to have meet-ups with other program Fellows in their locations.
What are the costs associated with this program (travel, fees, deposits, etc.)?
Fellows might be responsible for some travel expenses and meals during the in-person Immersive. No fees are collected or directly associated with this Fellowship.
Can I apply if my country is not listed under the priority countries?
Rising Leaders of Mexico Fellowship is designed for entrepreneurs who are based and are creating impact in Mexico. If you’re located elsewhere, we encourage you to explore other Fellowships within the Flagship Fellowship program here.
I have another question and need assistance.
For all other questions, please reach out to Milena Kirillova at milena@watson.is.
