Application Deadline: October 15, 2024.

Program Overview

Implemented by YY Ventures and Yunus Centre, the LATAM Social Business Ecosystem Builders Initiative aims to increase the capacity of the existing ecosystem builders in Brazil, Mexico, Chile, Columbia, Ecuador and Argentina by facilitating access to new knowledge, technical skills, and network.

This initiative will transfer knowledge to a group of twenty (20) selected participants, perhaps from ten (10) social business support organisations, by enrolling them in a two-month-long series of rigorous workshops. Selected participants will attend five (5) workshops, design their own innovation program with coaching and guidance from experts based across the world, and create their implementation plan.

The hope is that by the end of this learning journey, the ecosystem builders from Brazil, Mexico, Chile, Columbia, Ecuador and Argentina can bring innovative solutions to tackle existing social and financial challenges and strengthen the entrepreneurial environment in these countries in the LATAM region.

How To Apply?

Each organisation can nominate up to two young professionals from early-stage enterprises with 0-3 years of experience. Nominees must have fluency in English, and should already be engaged with the social business ecosystem in the LATAM region, who want to design, implement and manage social business support programmes in their respective countries.

What to Expect

Workshops and masterclasses:

• Five 3-hour long workshops will be held over two months (October to November 2024) via Zoom.

• The five workshops are split into three modules, each specifically designed to give hands-on knowledge and experience to the workshop participants.

• Each workshop will help participants to: – Understand local realities and ecosystems and how to engage supporters and bring program resources. – Mobilise resources efficiently to design and manage social business support programs, e.g. competitions, innovation challenges, incubators or accelerators. – Measure and manage the impact of social business support programs.

Eligibility Criteria

1. Individuals are eligible to apply for the learning journey workshops and masterclasses;

2. Early-stage, local business support organisations, such as incubators/accelerators, co-working spaces, microfinance institutions, Universities, and Yunus Social Business Centre (YSBC), that have 0-3 years of are eligible to apply;

3. Applicant organisations must be based in one of the six countries in the LATAM region – Brazil, Mexico, Chile, Columbia, Ecuador and Argentina;

4. Each organisation should nominate at least two young professionals (one male and one female) who are aged between 18 to 35 years;

5. Nominated young professionals should be passionate about designing and implementing incubation programs and innovation challenges for young people in their communities; and

6. Participants should commit at least 5 hours per week for two months of the Learning Journey Workshop series and submit an activity plan to improve the social business ecosystem in their country/region.