Deadline Date: February 14, 2026
Eisenhower Fellowships (EF) delivers the USA Program for Innovative Entrepreneurs to inspire leaders to challenge themselves, envision how they can effect positive change, engage others beyond their existing networks and collaborate with like-minded leaders across national borders to better the world around them.
Inspire leaders around the world to challenge themselves; Envision how they can effect positive change; Engage others beyond their existing networks; Collaborate with other like-minded leaders across national borders to better the world around them. The 2026 USA Program for Innovative Entrepreneurs will select ascendant, innovative American entrepreneurs who have demonstrated success in leading for-profit enterprises that generate positive social impact. Typically, Fellows range between 32 and 45 years of age at the time of fellowship and are selected for their maturity and ability to take advantage of this unique leadership opportunity.
USA Fellows will participate in a bifurcated fellowship experience that includes both domestic and international travel. The program begins with several days of residence, workshops and shared meetings in Austin, Texas, alongside the international cohort. Following this, USA Fellows will accompany international Fellows to one or two major U.S. cities for an additional ten days to two weeks of domestic travel during October and November 2026. This joint experience is designed to deepen engagement, dialogue and collaboration across cultures and sectors. After completing the domestic portion, USA Fellows will embark on individualized international travel, spending two to three weeks in one overseas country beginning immediately after the U.S. travel and continuing through the first quarter of 2027.
Throughout the fellowship, participants will develop a project, foster professional relationships and launch dynamic, concrete collaborations with global counterparts, their cohort and the Eisenhower Fellowships network of more than 2,500 Fellows from 118 countries. Fellows are selected based on their track record of leadership, their potential for future impact and their commitment to lifelong engagement with Eisenhower Fellowships to advance its mission of enhancing international understanding through dialogue to build a world more peaceful, prosperous and just.
Eligible candidates for the 2026 USA Program must have citizenship and/or current residence for at least five years in the country they are applying to represent on the fellowship. Priority is given to applicants within the age range of 32–45 years at the time of the program, though candidates slightly outside this range may still be considered if they excel in other criteria. Selected Fellows must obtain approval from their workplace to take leave and commit full-time for the duration of the in-person program, with breaks permitted only in cases of dire emergency, and must be able to convene in Austin for several days in early October. Children are not permitted on the fellowship, and EF does not fund spousal travel. Candidates who have participated in any EF fellowship within the previous two years are not eligible. Fellows may not use the fellowship to make business deals, solicit funds for their projects, or seek any form of financial support, as all expenses are covered by EF.
For more information, visit Eisenhower Fellowships.
