Visa and Bridge for Billions’ Small Business Mentorship Program
We empower Black and
African American entrepreneurs to grow their business ideas.
Program Description
The program offers a structured online curriculum and active learning pedagogy to help you get clarity on the fundamentals of your business, review your business model, define your financial projections, create a growth plan for your venture and much more.
The output will be a business plan document that you can use to pitch your venture in competitions or seek support, financial or otherwise.
If you are selected, you will be paired with a team of two professionals from Visa who will meet with you weekly, review materials, and think through challenges with you.
Why participate?
Proven methodology
1700+ entrepreneurs from 70 countries have gone through the program!
Find your Mentor
You’ll be partnered with a professional to personally guide you so that your project grows in the right direction.
Global Network
Become a part of a supportive community of founders from 70 countries that share resources and harness challenges together.
Experience Active Learning
The platform offers a learn-by-doing approach inspired by MIT's Disciplined Entrepreneurship and you'll get to generate a business plan in PDF.
Anytime, Anywhere
Collaborate from anywhere at any time through our online platform; no barriers, limits, or excuses; just an internet connection.
Exclusive perks
Access to expert masterclasses + more than 30K in discounts on HubSpot, Amazon WS, Google Suite, MailJet, IBM...
Who we are looking for Black and African American entrepreneurs that:
- Have an early-stage business or non-profit with a business concept developed or an MVP recently launched.
- Have the need of a 3-year growth and financial plan.
- Can dedicate 6-8 hours per week during 3.5 months.
- Have a reliable internet connection.
- Are located/based in Chicago, IL; Los Angeles, CA; Atlanta, GA; Detroit, MI; Washington, D.C. or Miami, FL
- Have commitment to finish the program.
Apply before August 31st, 2021!
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And now… What?
Apply to the program
Tell us more about you and your start-up by applying below. Our team will assess your selection into the program. We are offering you the chance to start the program in October 2021, or February 2022.
Announcement of selected candidates
We will review all the applications and we will select 120 start-ups to participate in this edition of the program.
Attend to the onboarding session
If selected, you will be invited to an onboarding to the program and session on how to select your mentor, how to use the incubation platform, its methodology and much more.
Online Incubation Program
Start the structured online incubation with weekly activities and mentorship sessions. You will have 3.5 months to complete the full Bridge for Billions incubation cycle and obtain your final Business Plan in PDF format.
The best mentoring platform
The Bridge for Billions methodology is based on the development of a business plan from scratch while the mentee is surrounded by a community of support; mentors, fellow entrepreneurs and our incubation team.
Our online platform allows entrepreneurs to experiment, research, and document their ideas step by step so that at the end of the program they can download their own business plan in PDF.
Ready to start?
Questions about the program?
What is the time commitment to the program?
The more time you’re able to put in, the better the results! We’ve structured the program so that you should be able to complete all activities within 6 to 8 hours per week (including a 1h video call with your mentor), but there are always opportunities for you to go deeper and spend more time on each stage to significantly develop and validate your ideas. If you can’t commit to at least 6 hours per week over 3.5 months, this probably isn’t the program for you. You can also divide some of the work with other people on your team (if any).
What technology will I need for the program?
You will need to be able to use a laptop or desktop computer (not tablet or smartphone) and preferably one of these browsers: Google Chrome, Safari, Firefox. We expect you to have a strong, reliable internet connection both for your online work on the platform and to participate in the mentors calls via video conference.
Why is this program sponsored?
Bridge for Billions and Visa have partnered with the goal of bringing high-quality entrepreneurial support to African-American and black women entrepreneurs in the US.
We believe that only by providing this program at no cost, we are truly supporting you to unleash your potential and create your solution.
Can my teammate work with me on the project?
Of course! Our program was made for collaboration with your entire team. You can easily invite your teammates to join your project and seamlessly collaborate on its development. You can work at the same time as a teammate, but note, however, that our platform does not allow for live collaboration as with google docs – you will only see a teammates edits after refreshing the page and you should be careful not to “override” one another’s inputs.
I’m concerned about my intellectual property if I apply. Should I be worried about this?
We hope that our reputation speaks for itself on this topic. We treat your application & program data as confidential information. They are protected by our Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy, and your mentor will also sign a Mentorship Agreement that includes a confidentiality clause.
Can’t find your question here?
For more information, please visit our website
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