Empowering Africa’s Innovation Leaders: The MIT Foundry Fellowship 2025–2026 is Open.

The MIT Kuo Sharper Center for Prosperity and Entrepreneurship champions the critical role that entrepreneurs and their market-driven solutions play in advancing sustainable prosperity across global growth markets. At the heart of this mission is the Foundry Fellowship, a transformative program designed to foster a vibrant community of Africa-based entrepreneurs dedicated to accelerating innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystems across the continent.

Purpose and Vision

The Foundry Fellowship embodies the Center’s conviction that Africa’s future lies in a dynamic, interconnected ecosystem where people, ideas, and resources flow freely across borders. This fellowship nurtures a community that challenges outdated narratives about Africa, shifting the focus to abundance, opportunity, innovation, and dynamism. By supporting innovation-driven entrepreneurs, the program seeks to enable scalable solutions that contribute to inclusive economic growth and systemic transformation across African markets.

About the Fellowship

The Foundry Fellowship is an intensive eight-month journey aimed at accomplished entrepreneurs ready to lead Africa’s innovation landscape. This cohort-based program accepts 10 to 15 fellows annually, creating an intimate learning environment that encourages deep personal and professional growth. The fellowship targets principled leaders who have already demonstrated success in scaling innovation-driven businesses and are now at a pivotal point in their leadership journeys.

Applicants typically join the program for several reasons: having successfully scaled a business, seeking new leadership roles within the entrepreneurial ecosystem, or looking to support ecosystem growth continent-wide. Through personalized leadership seminars, collaboration with MIT faculty, and experiential tours of innovation ecosystems—both within Africa and in the United States—the fellowship equips fellows to spearhead initiatives that drive ecosystem development locally and regionally.

Eligibility Criteria

Applicants must be Africa-based entrepreneurs who have founded and scaled a for-profit, innovation-driven enterprise. Furthermore, they should be at an inflection point where they are transitioning their leadership role in one of the following ways:

• Moving from managing their enterprise to ecosystem leadership roles, such as launching venture capital funds, starting accelerators, or engaging in policymaking.
• Founding ventures or support organizations dedicated to strengthening Africa’s innovation and entrepreneurial ecosystems.
• Expanding their innovation-driven enterprises across multiple African markets with a focus on ecosystem development to support growth objectives.

Co-founders from the same company are eligible to apply independently, provided each submits a unique application. The fellowship also welcomes applications from MIT alumni and current degree candidates.

Program Commitments

The Foundry Fellowship demands a significant commitment in terms of time and intellectual engagement. Prospective fellows must demonstrate fluency in English, as all programming is delivered in this language. They are required to attend all online and in-person sessions, including four ecosystem tours—two in Africa and two in the U.S.—each lasting approximately one week, with the combined U.S. tours occurring in spring and totaling about two weeks.

Fellows are responsible for their own transportation to and from ecosystem tour locations and some travel expenses, while the program covers accommodations, group meals, and local transport. Active participation in all sessions is expected, culminating in fellows presenting their post-fellowship plans to peers and program supporters.

Application Process

The application process involves submitting personal and professional information, including:

• Demographic and contact details.
• An overview of the applicant’s role as a founder and insights into their company.
• Essays addressing motivation for joining the fellowship, ecosystem-building experience, and perspectives on entrepreneurial leadership.
• A comprehensive resume detailing education, professional experience, leadership roles, and community involvement.
• A two-minute video summary in English highlighting key points from the application.
• Two letters of recommendation from individuals familiar with the applicant’s leadership, such as co-founders, mentors, board members, or senior managers.

Applications are reviewed by a committee, and shortlisted candidates are invited for panel interviews.

Key Dates

• Application opens: June 11, 2025
• Application deadline: July 6, 2025
• Selection: August 2025
• Acceptance notification: September 2025
• Orientation (virtual): October 2025
• Africa ecosystem tours: November 2025 and January/February 2026
• U.S. ecosystem tours and fellowship celebration: April/May 2026

Nominations and Alumni

Individuals can nominate Africa-based entrepreneurs who may be a good fit for the fellowship. Nominees are invited to apply, although nominations are not required for application. The program maintains an active alumni network, with profiles and videos of past cohorts available online, showcasing ecosystem tours in locations such as Cairo, Egypt, Miami, and MIT.

The Foundry Fellowship continues to foster a transformative network of entrepreneurs poised to lead Africa’s innovation-driven growth and ecosystem development. It invites motivated entrepreneurs to apply and contribute to this vision.

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Disclaimer: Global South Opportunities (GSO) is not the hiring organization. For any inquiries, please contact the hiring organization directly. Please do not send your applications to GSO, as we are unable to process them. Due to the high volume of emails we receive daily, we may not be able to respond to all inquiries. Thank you for your understanding.