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- Impact Fellowships
- Watson Institute at Lynn University
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About
Fellowships
- Impact Fellowships
- Watson Institute at Lynn University
Fellow Experience
Apply
Nominate A Fellow

The Retail Readiness Entrepreneurship Training Program

Thank you for your interest in the Retail Readiness Training Program! We’re thrilled to support underserved entrepreneurs to become retail ready.

Applications are now open!

Priority Application deadline is February 9th, 2025. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis after the deadline.

Please note that only the first submission will be considered. There is no need to submit more than one application

"*" indicates required fields

Step 1 of 3 - Tell us about yourself

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Start Your Application

Name*

First Last

Email*

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Tell Us About Yourself

Our organization values diversity. The collection of demographic information is essential to us as it helps us ensure that our processes are fair and inclusive. Our objective is to make certain that our programs fully represent and cater to the diverse populations we work with. We invite you to voluntarily provide demographic information below.

Country of Citizenship*

Phone*

Please include a country code.

Date of Birth*

Month

Day

Year

Gender Identity*

Other, Gender Identity*

Pronouns*

Other, Pronouns*

Race*

Other, Race*

Address*

Street Address City State / Province / Region ZIP / Postal Code Country

What is your highest level of education?*

School Information*

High school, university, vocational school, community college etc.

Name of School Location (city, country) Dates Attended (year-year)

Share your LinkedIn Profile*

If you don't have a LinkedIn profile, please put N/A.

How did you first learn about the Retail Readiness Entrepreneurship Training Program powered by Watson Institute?*

Please review the list carefully and select one option below. Use the following questions to add any additional details.

Which Opportunity Site?*

Please review the list carefully and select one option below. Use the following question to add any additional details.

What Organization?*

Please review the list carefully and select one option below. Use the following question to add any additional details.

Wich Social Media / Search Engine?*

Please review the list carefully and select one option below. Use the following question to add any additional details.

Through Which Watson Institute Network Did You Learn About This Program?*

Please review the list carefully and select one option below. Use the following question to add any additional details.

From Who in your Network did you Learn About this Program?*

Please review the list carefully and select one option below. Use the following question to add any additional details.

Please elaborate on your answer to the question above.*

For example: if referred, (tell us the full name of the person and Organization); if you marked a Social Media Group, (give us the name of the group); etc. Please be as specific as possible.

Have you ever participated in any Watson Institute’s Fellow-led Basecamps?*

Yes

No

Not sure

Read more about Basecamps here.

Have you applied to the Watson Institute Fellowships before?

Indicate the program name and the year you applied.

Have you ever attended any of Watson Institute’s Summits?*

Yes

No

Not sure

Have you previously participated in a similar fellowship or an accelerator program?*

Provide the name of the fellowship or an accelerator program, including the dates of your involvement in each. You don't need to elaborate on the content of the program.

Share More About Your Venture

What is the name of your venture or project?*

When did you start working on this venture?*

MM slash DD slash YYYY

What is the current stage of your project/venture? If you are not sure what your current stage is, please indicate Not sure*

Please choose the ONE option that best describes the current stage of your venture.

Interest "I have strong interest in a particular social issue area, but do not have relevant experience or knowledge of the social issue area"

Research "I have identified a focus issue area and have conducted substantial and relevant research"

Idea “I have developed a basic concept and plan for my project”

Customer Discovery "I am leading discovery conversations with my potential market"

Prototyping "I will have a usable prototype within the next 3 months"

Piloting “I am actively using a Minimum Viable Product”

Problem-Solution Fit "I have active customers or users benefitting from my service"

Product-Market Fit "We have many customers and consistent revenue"

Growing "My team is growing and we have consistent revenue"

Scaling “I’m expanding into other geographical areas / new markets”

Not sure

Which specific area of impact does your venture focus on?*

If other, which issue area of focus?*

In what state does your venture create impact?*

Are you legally incorporated?*

Yes

No

Not sure

If yes, what state?*

What type of organization is your venture?*

Please choose the ONE option that best describes your venture.

What is the total amount, in US Dollars, that your venture has raised or earned to date? Please enter the figure below.*

Please don't add the currency symbol, only the total number without commas.

If you have raised money for your venture, what kind of funds have you raised?*

Grants

Seed Funding

Debt/Loan

Equity / Investment

Sales

SAFE Note

Individual Donations

N/A

Other

Please provide details about the financial supporters of your venture:*

If you have received grants, seed funding, investments, individual donations, or other forms of financial support, please list these funders here. If there are multiple, list the top three.

How many full-time, paid team members do you have?*

Please add the total number.

How many part-time or volunteer team members do you have?*

Please add the total number.

Are you working directly in farming or creating value-added products based on agricultural inputs?*

Yes

No

Not sure

If yes, please elaborate*

Are you developing a product or working on a service?*

Product

Service

Both

Not sure

Neither

In one sentence describe the product or a service.*

Share any relevant websites, media, articles regarding you and your venture*

Why do you consider yourself a strong candidate and an ideal match for the Retail Readiness Entrepreneurship Training Program?*

Please include a personal story and concrete examples from your past experiences that not only demonstrate your fit for the program, but also showcase your passion for your venture.

In 2-3 sentences, state the specific problem you are addressing through your venture. Describe your social impact venture, including its main activities and the positive change it seeks to achieve.*

This can include your mission, theory of change, product/service description, current challenges, ongoing initiatives etc.

Describe your progress and impact to date.*

Provide specific examples, including numerical data and statistics, to illustrate your progress.

What are your venture's objectives for the upcoming 1-3 years, and in what ways do you anticipate that this fellowship will assist you in achieving them?*

Which areas do you need support in for your venture? Please select all that apply*

Problem Identification

Customer Discovery

Customer Validation

Competitor Analysis

Assessing Industry Landscape

Prototyping

Value Proposition Creation

Creating relevant and measurable metrics

Outlining a business model

Determining the economics of the business model

Leading a team of people

Setting an organizational culture

Determining an organizational structure

Determining processes to scale the venture

Establishing sustainable revenue streams

Strengthening/Identifying Your What/Why

Culture & Relationships

Effective Communication

Marketing

Business Economics

Pitching

Other

If you selected 'Other,' please describe the specific area where you need support.

Are you confident that you understand and agree to the time commitments, scheduling expectations, and consideration for time zones necessary to successfully participate in the Fellowship?*

Yes

No

Not sure

Please read more about time commitment expectations here.

If the program requires, do you agree to facilitate a Basecamp?*

Yes

No

Not sure

Read more about Basecamps here.

Consent

By submitting this application, I confirm that all the information provided is accurate to the best of my knowledge. I understand that the Watson Institute reserves the right to request additional evidence to verify the information provided, if necessary. I also consent to the Privacy Policy governing the use of my personal information in accordance with the regulations.

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