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Application Deadline: April 28, 2023
The Opportunity Intensive began in 2020 with a cohort of nine social entrepreneurs and a commitment to accelerating the impact-driven future of business in our own backyard. While Opportunity Zones have been a polarizing topic, they provide a valuable jumping off point for identifying communities in our region that have been historically under-resourced to ensure innovation and investment remain in the hands of those who know and love these communities best.
With the support of the US Economic Development Administration, Amazon Web Services, Capital One, S&R Everymay, HR Sage and Goodwin, the program expanded in 2021 to service twenty ventures and based-in or primarily serving Opportunity Zones in the broader DMV region. Fellows meet for programming one day per month, with two week-long residencies and a culminating showcase event in January 2024. This program is for impact-driven entrepreneurs who are based in or primarily serve Opportunity Zones in the DC region. Fellows receive a suite of pro-bono services, a stipend, access to Halcyon’s larger network, and more!
Eligibility:
To be eligible for this fellowship, you:
- Must live in and/or have your venture based-in or primarily serve designated Opportunity Zones within the Washington, DC, Virginia, and Maryland region. Your venture may be focusing on any business sector, as long as it is an MVP-stage impact-driven venture (i.e. prioritizes social and/or environmental good along with business success)
- Applicant must be the CEO and/or hold primary decision-making power in the growth and strategic vision for the venture’s development and management
- Must be able to make a full-time commitment to work on the venture during the residency phase (Residency Week 1: July 10 – 14, 2023 AND Residency Week 2: **January 15-19 2024)
- Must be able attend monthly meetings and residency programming in-person in Washington, DC
- Must be fluent in English
- Must be at least 21 years of age by the start of the program
- May apply on your own or with up to one Co-Founder who meets the above eligibility requirements.
- Must be willing to contribute to the growth and development of Halcyon’s fellow community
**Tentative Dates
To be eligible for this fellowship, your venture:
- Must be an original idea of the applicant(s)
- Must be Minimal Viable Product (MVP) stage
- Must be an independent or autonomous venture that is not under the direction of an existing organization
- Must have plans for a sustainable business model to generate revenue by selling a core product or service
- Must be a for-profit or hybrid venture with the core mission is to create measurable social and/or environmental change
- May not be a 501(c)(3) non-profit venture
Benefits:
While Intensive programming is tailored to the cohort, a few things are a given:
- $5,000 USD equity-free stipend
- Two week-long residencies at Halcyon’s facilities in Georgetown, DC
- Pro-bono legal support
- Free workspace for the duration of the program at Halcyon’s facilities in Georgetown, DC
- Pro-bono consulting services from Capital One
- Leadership coaching
- $25,000 USD in AWS cloud computing credits
- Access to Halcyon’s world-class networks of mentors, advisors, and investors
- Join a community of over 300 impact driven entrepreneurs, many based in the DC region
- Bespoke skills training
Selection Criteria:
Impact. Successful applicants demonstrate a significant impact as a core part of their venture. We look for impact both in terms of how impactful the core product or service is, and how scalable is the model to spread this impact.
Problem/Solution. Does your venture identify a real and pressing problem and propose a viable solution? Strong applications effectively and narrowly define a pain point and outline a solution that addresses the pain point.
Sustainability. We’re looking for innovative social ventures that sell a core product or service to achieve impact.
Execution. The application is our first introduction; get off on the right foot. Successful applicants have a big vision but also pay careful attention to detail.
Innovation. How is your solution to a problem different from current solutions? What sets you apart? We value audacious ideas that disrupt the status quo and move the needle on 21st century challenges. Think big!
Talent. Do you have what it takes to lead your venture to success? Strong applicants exhibit characteristics of extraordinary leadership: vision, intelligence, resilience, and follow-through.
