Apply for Bold Path Fellowship (United States)

Through this program, they hope to support students who are passionate about entrepreneurship to choose the Bold Path.

Their goal is to make entrepreneurship a more accessible and more equitable pathway for the career success of postsecondary students.

The Bold Path Fellowship aims to expand access to entrepreneurship, increasingly seen as a postsecondary pathway by students and institutions.

• Course offerings in entrepreneurship are up ~20x over the last ~30 years.
• Interest in degree programs focused on entrepreneurship has followed suit; in March 2020, a survey showed a 66% year-over-year increase.
• However, students’ ability to leverage their degrees and launch new businesses upon graduation is highly dependent on their household wealth.
  • Two-thirds of entrepreneurs use personal savings as a source of funding, and more than one-fifth rely on family for funding.
  • The top 95th percentile of wealthy individuals in the United States is more likely to start businesses than any other income group.

Benefits

• Educational Programming and Capacity Building: Community resources are provided to help Fellows learn more about the startup ecosystem and the skills they’ll need to develop successful businesses.
• Mentorship: Offering guidance from current or former business leaders in the community to help navigate the business development process.
• Technical Assistance: Providing additional support to help Fellows create viable businesses.

Funding Information 

• $120,000 in Non-Dilutive Grant Funding (over Two Years): These funds are intended to substitute for early “family and friends” funding, which is often lacking for low-income founders and critical to get their businesses off the ground. (Non-dilutive grant funding means that there will be no impact to the equity or ownership of the business).

Eligibility Criteria

• Passionate prospective entrepreneurs who come from under-resourced backgrounds and communities.
• Students who have a high-potential existing business or promising idea that supports positive social impact reflective of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (businesses can be local or national in scope, but should have positive social impact in their local community).
• Students who will complete postsecondary education in spring 2025 (four-year college, community college or vocational program) or individuals who have completed postsecondary education in the last five years (four-year college, community college or vocational program).
• Individuals who are residents of the Greater Birmingham area and are committed to building their venture in Birmingham, Alabama.

For more information, visit ECMC Group.