Open Hands Initiative is proud to announce its “Fellowship for Young Women Entrepreneurs” — an international exchange program for extraordinary women business owners from the U.S. and Jordan. The Fellowship will take place in Amman, Jordan in October 2015, bringing together twenty female startup founders—10 from America and 10 from Jordan — for a unique educational and cultural program coordinated in partnership with Angel Resource Institute (ARI) and its Women First Enterprise (WFE) program.
Jay T. Snyder, founder and chairman of the Open Hands Initiative, emphasizes that the exchange is as much about empowering women and supporting entrepreneurship, as it is about building enduring bridges betweenthe United States and Jordan.
“People-to-people diplomacy is at the heart of our mission—creating bonds between emerging leaders fromJordan and the U.S. will help encourage the exchange of ideas, foster synergies among the business communities from both countries, and build a stronger partnership for the future that is based on mutual respect and understanding,” Snyder said.
Gwen Edwards, a veteran of Silicon Valley—executive turned entrepreneur, advisor and investor—brings more than 15 years of experience to the program as one of its co-instructors. She said of the program, “It begins with the premise that entrepreneurs from disparate cultures will have more in common than not, and through those common bonds can learn to appreciate and share the different kinds of challenges they face.” She added, “This program is pioneering a new approach to learning, to incubating, to accelerating an entrepreneurial business—and with women at the helm!”
The Fellowship will take place in Amman, Jordan from October 16 to 24, and will include comprehensive training, expert panels, personal mentorship, collaborative workshops, and unique cultural experiences. The program will culminate with a “demo day” set before a panel of investors and judges in which the founders vie to win one of four $25,000 grants. The Initiative will cover all travel and accommodation costs for the entrepreneurs who are accepted to the fellowship.
How to Apply: For more information about how to apply and the selection criteria, please visit the Open Hands Initiative website. Women interested in applying should submit an application and references by midnight on July 15, 2015.
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