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Fellows
The Agora Fellows program is a new initiative by Agora Partnerships to bring extraordinary entrepreneurial talent directly into developing world small businesses during their critical growth phase.
Program Overview
Agora Fellows are management, finance, and development professionals who work in-country for 4-6 months to assist the leadership teams of Agora portfolio companies in setting up managerial processes and executing the business plan.
Fellows are assigned to specific companies and act in a consulting role to help address core needs of the venture as identified by the management team and Board. The focus could be on financial operations, HR systems, marketing, strategy or the myriad of other business challenges that face developing world entrepreneurs.
Fellows are full-time, senior advisers to the company, working at its headquarters and interacting daily with the entrepreneurs in a high stakes, resource constrained environment that is both immensely challenging and deeply rewarding.
Fellows receive training, on-going support, and camaraderie from Agora staff, and also contribute to overall strategy and portfolio management at Agora Partnerships.
Purpose
1. Professional, full-time assistance to start up companies increases the odds for success during the critical first months of implementing a growth strategy and can help establish processes and procedures that increase the likelihood of long term success.
2. Skills transfer between Fellows and entrepreneurs and vice versa increases human capital. The Fellowship represents an extraordinary opportunity for MBA professionals and small business entrepreneurs to work closely together, establish cross-cultural friendships and business linkages, and learn from one another.
Becoming a Fellow
Agora Partnerships has established a partnership with MBAs Without Borders (MWB), an international leader in brokering business talent with development opportunities. Our partnership with MWB significantly reduces the administrative costs to finding great talent and allows Fellows to enjoy all of the benefits of working with MWB, an organization whose sole mission is to provide outstanding opportunities for business professionals to make a difference in the developing world.
To learn more about the Fellowship program or to apply, click here to go to MWB’s website.