Watson Semester Accelerator – Spring 2024 for Early-stage Entrepreneurs and Innovators: Applications for the Spring 2024 Watson Semester Accelerator is now open. The 4-month Watson Semester Accelerator was launched to accelerate the ventures and careers of recent graduates and gap-year students with an early-stage social venture.
Selected students will receive hands-on training and mentorship to accelerate their ventures during a time when the world needs brave leadership and creative solutions to issues of complex injustice and inequality. Scholarships, work study, and fellowships are available.
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Watson Semester Accelerator – Spring 2024 for Early-stage Entrepreneurs and Innovators.
The Spring 2024 Watson Semester Accelerator program will be offered in a hybrid format with both in-person and virtual participation options. The in-person format will be limited to twelve Scholars. Applicants are encouraged to apply early to secure an in-person spot. The program takes place from January 17th to May 6th 2024.
Program Tracks
You have two tracks to choose from:
- Venture Founder Track: The Venture Founder track is for students who are founders or co-founders of a venture or project. The Venture Founder may collaborate with a Free Agent track student attending the same cohort.
- Free Agent Track: The Free Agent track is for students looking to join a venture or project and are prepared to contribute in significant ways to the team. Free Agents join a Venture Founder’s team at the beginning of the cohort.
Scholarship
Fellowship and scholarships covering up to 50% of the cost of tuition are available based on merit and financial need.
An overview of how the hybrid Watson Semester Accelerator will be delivered.
Our hybrid program allows us to bring the Watson Semester Accelerator to Scholars across the globe, take advantage of opportunities only available in the virtual space, as well as provide the in-person experience for U.S. based scholars that will benefit from the connections found in the vibrant entrepreneurial community in Boulder, Colorado.
The courses, mentorship, master courses, and community will be delivered in a combination of in-person and virtual formats. Synchronous activities will take place between 9:00 AM-12:00 PM Mountain Time. The time commitment for participating in this program is an average of 42 hours per week for 16 weeks, which includes class time, workshops, Master Courses, and outside of class work on your ventures and projects.
Courses
The Watson Semester Accelerator curriculum was developed by examining best practices in supporting entrepreneurs worldwide and consolidated into a curriculum that provides students with the hard and soft skills, methodologies, and frameworks required to successfully grow a venture and lead an impactful career. Each course is led by one of Watson Institute’s Preceptors, who themselves are accomplished entrepreneurs, leaders, and expert facilitators.
Watson Semester Accelerator Application Eligibility
- Open to early stage entrepreneurs, innovators, and leaders with a bias towards action and the gritty idealism required to solve complex problems.
- Founders in the early-prototyping stage are the most well-suited for the Watson Semester Accelerator in the Fall and Spring. Early prototyping means that you have completed initial research on the project and have designed and put to test aspects of your business model. In addition, at this stage you have developed early versions of the service or product that you are planning to launch. You may have revenue or funding streams at this stage, but the project/venture is not yet self-sustained or scalable.
- Applicant may be from any part of the world.
How to Apply for Watson Semester Accelerator
Apply online via https://watson.is/watson-accelerator/
Apply early to secure your spot. Spots are limited. The final deadline is November 15th. Please contact Miranda Williamson, Director of Search for Watson Institute, at miranda@watson.is with any questions you may have about the application process.
Deadline: November 15, 2024. The program takes place from January 17th to May 6th 2024.
