Acumen Academy Gender Equity and Advancement Accelerator

Deadline: April 4, 2023

Acumen’s vision is of a world based on dignity, where every human being has an opportunity to thrive. We are seeking a cohort of entrepreneurs who, like us, believe that integrating gender equity across strategies, processes, and day-to-day work improves how we address the problems of poverty.

Gender inclusion in business isn’t just the ethical thing to do — it’s also good for the world’s economy and sustainability. Rather than add a gender-equity lens after scaling, we believe it’s easier and more efficient when building an inclusive company to address and prioritize gender from the start. 

To support social entrepreneurs committed to leading the change in gender inclusion, our accelerator will equip leaders with moral leadership lessons, business skills, and learnings from our successful portfolio companies to continue scaling their enterprise’s gender-inclusive way. 

Benefits

• Develop hard-edged leadership skills necessary for building an inclusive and sustainable business solution. These include (but are not limited to): practising courage, deep listening, polarity management, and stepping outside the status quo. 
• Refine and develop a profitable and scalable business model tackling poverty at its core.
• Embed and expand gender inclusion into your business through the market, workforce, and value-chain entry points.
• Sharpen your presentation skills and practice pitching to an audience
• Join a lifelong, global community of social entrepreneurs committed to tackling injustice and accompanying each other through their leadership and entrepreneurial journeys.

During this 12-week program, you will learn the essentials for building a scalable business model that achieves profitability and impact. Working alongside your close-knit cohort of entrepreneurial peers and Acumen experts, you’ll develop your leadership and business skills as you design your plan to embed gender equity as you scale. 

As a participant, you’ll gain access to industry-specific case studies, video tutorials and practical readings and receive invaluable one-on-one support and guidance from our team. Each week, you’ll complete assignments designed to help you think critically about your business model and introduce you to gender-inclusive best practices. During the leadership sessions, you’ll be challenged to redefine success and develop the moral imagination to create a society centred on dignity — then employ your new leadership and business skills to make it a reality.

You’ll also gain access to tools and teachings from Value for Women, including training on the entry points, policies, and practices that will help you work towards becoming a gender-equitable business. 

The program will culminate with a closing gathering, including pitch practice and a celebration for all the hard work, lessons learned, and new relationships you’ll take with you as you scale your business gender-inclusively.

SEE ALSO: Burke Climate and Health Fellowship at Harvard University 2023/2024

Eligibility Criteria

This accelerator is open to social entrepreneurs who:

• Run a social enterprise (nonprofit or for-profit) based in East Africa (Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi, South Sudan, Ethiopia) or West Africa (Nigeria, Ghana, Sierra Leone, Liberia, the Gambia) who are working to solve problems of poverty and dignity.
• Are dedicated to investing in their personal and business growth
• Are deeply committed to the work of tackling poverty and injustice and are interested in being part of a global community bound by values 
• Have an enterprise that has been operational for 18 months or more (please note: if this is your second or third venture, this requirement is flexible. Be sure to include this in your application.) 
• Have a team of three or more full-time staff.
• Commit to serving women across three entry points and evidence of action in at least one:
  • Market (products and services)
  • Internal organization (workforce and policies)
  • Value chain (supply and distribution)

Application Registration Deadline: 4th April 2023

To Apply: Click here

Official Website: Click here