Watson Institute - Accelerator, Basecamp and Master Classes

The Watson Semester Accelerator

We are excited to welcome a cohort of 26 next-generation leaders from Algeria, Bangladesh, Brazil, Canada, China, Gambia, Ghana, Kenya, Morocco, Nigeria, Palestine, and the United States! The Spring 2021 group is convening virtually to tackle complex problems and forge lives and careers of impact.

These Watson Scholars are working to tackle gender inequality, design closed-loop systems and cities, provide an entrepreneurial ecosystem for individuals with disabilities, provide food and nutrition security, use theatre as an engaging and effective tool for empowerment, provide quality education to disadvantaged communities, and much more!
 
As we welcome this amazing group of young leaders, the application for the Fall 2021 cohort is open! Below are the deadlines: 

International Applicants: April 15, 2021

Domestic Applicants: June 1st, 2021

Accelerate your career and lead a life of impact

Watson Institute at Universidad Francisco Marroquín (UFM) is a 6-week program taking place from May 31 to July 9, 2021. The program accelerates the careers of entrepreneurial leaders through rigorous training in the skills required for success in the future of work, intensive mentorship from experienced entrepreneurs and professionals, internships with leading organizations, and a community of peers that will protect their courage. 

The deadline to apply to the Career Accelerator at Watson Institute at UFM in Guatemala is May 1, 2021.

The Watson Basecamp returns to South Florida

The virtual Watson Basecamp is a program aimed at high school and university students interested in entrepreneurship, innovation, and impact. During the program, participants identify the main challenges facing their community, devise solutions for those challenges, develop a prototype, receive mentoring, and present their projects to a panel of experts.

Students who are part of this virtual program are motivated to solve social problems and want to learn the tools to design solutions and put them into action. The Watson Basecamp in South Florida is a great opportunity for students interested in joining the Bachelor of Science in Social Entrepreneurship program from Lynn University, in collaboration with Watson Institute.

Join us for our open Master Courses this Spring

Each week a Master Course teacher is invited to share their entrepreneurial journey and experience as well as mentor Watson students. Master Courses range from a fireside chat to an interactive workshop, and revolve around sharing best practices, learnings and failures.

During the global COVID-19 pandemic we have the privilege to offer four open virtual Master Courses to anyone interested in our programs. Join us for one or all of these courses led by diverse and powerful speakers! Below is the schedule of this Spring:

February 12, 9-11 AM (MT), Jane Miller
Jane Miller is a leading CEO in the natural and organic food industry. She is currently the CEO of Lily’s Sweets, one of the fastest growing sweets companies in the US, and has previously served as an executive in Heinz UK, PepsiCo, and Frito Lay. Jane is a board member of Watson Institute, The Leeds School of Business at University of Colorado, and numerous other for-profit and non-profit organizations. She also publishes the popular blog JaneKnows.com on the tips, tools, and truths to lead a meaningful career.

April 2, 9-11 AM (MT), Sabrina Pourmand
Sabrina is a Silicon Valley native who's lived in Peru, Haiti and Jordan. Sabrina has spent more than ten years working in international and domestic aid and development, and has led programmatic initiatives for large-scale international humanitarian aid organizations. She has significant experience in the Global South as an international humanitarian crisis responder and proven experience implementing and delivering upon high growth revenue strategies. She holds a Masters in Nonprofit Administration from the University of San Francisco, a Bachelor’s in Political Science from University of California San Diego and has been named the Young Nonprofit Professional of the Year for the San Francisco Bay Area.

April 16, 11 AM- 1 PM (MT), Clare Byarugaba
Clare Byarugaba is an activist fighting for social justice and basic rights for marginalized populations in Uganda. Clare has served as the co-coordinator of the Civil Society Coalition on Human Rights and Constitutional Law and was the 2014 Oak Human Rights Fellow at Colby College. The Coalition led the fight against the Anti-Homosexuality Bill in the Ugandan Parliament and Clare continues to work towards mainstreaming lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and intersex (LGBTI) concerns in Uganda.

Registering to attend
These Master Courses are open to all prospective students. If you're interested in joining any or all of these, please contact Miranda Williamson, Director of Search, at miranda@watson.is.