Athari Group step one application for Mandela Washington Fellowship alumni

Description

The Mandela Washington Fellowship is an official partner of Athari Group and has been offered a fast-track process for the applications into their fourth cohort. The Athari Group program offers participants comprehensive training, mentorship, and the opportunity to receive up to $5,000 in seed funding.

Who Should Apply?  

The Athari Group Accelerator, in partnership with the Mandela Washington Fellowship, is seeking applications from Alumni who are entrepreneurs or social innovators with a demonstrated commitment to creating positive change in their communities. Ideal candidates are early-stage venture founders with a viable project or enterprise that addresses a pressing social, economic, or environmental challenge. Applicants should be alumni of the Mandela Washington Fellowship Alumni. They must commit to actively engage in a structured, three-month virtual program that includes expert-led training,  mentorship, and the opportunity to compete for up to $5,000 in seed funding. A strong willingness to collaborate, receive feedback, and invest time and energy in the program is essential.

Eligibility Criteria

Applications that meet the following criteria will be eligible for the  Athari Group accelerator:

·      Be  Mandela Washington Fellowship Alumni in good standing.

·      Must commit 5 hours a week to the program starting in early August. The program consists of two workshops a week, for two hours plus an additional one hour of work and meetings. Workshops are at 10am EST time.

·      Must be at the idea stage only or very early stage in the organization's life cycle.

·      The Mandela Washington Fellowship Alumni must reside in Sub-Saharan Africa.  

·      Mandela Washington Fellowship Alumni applicants are not employees or immediate family members of employees of the U.S. Government (including U.S. Embassies, USAID, and other U.S. Government entities). 

Submission Policies 

·      Applications must follow the instructions to avoid disqualification.  

·      Extra materials outside of the application will not be considered.  

·      Revisions to applications after submission will also not be considered.  

·      Only one application per person

·      This application must be submitted by a Mandela Washington Fellowship Alumni. 

·      Applications must be written in English. 

First Round   

·      First Round Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis until 11:59 pm (EDT) on June 10, 2025

·      Feedback and advancement decisions will be sent in June 15, 2025.

Second Round  

Mandela Washington Fellowship Alumni applicants invited to participate in the Second Round will be asked to submit a full application, which can be viewed on the Athari Group website.

Timeline

·      First Round Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis until June 10, 2025

·      Feedback and advancement decisions will be sent on June 15, 2025

·      Final cohort decisions will be made by July 1, 2025.