PROGRAM OFFERINGS

Legatum Fellowships – Click here to view the Feb. 15th Fellowship webinar

Every year, we select a cohort of approximately 20 highly-motivated entrepreneurs, who have already launched a venture, to join our one-year Fellowship. During this time students have the opportunity to build and scale their enterprise ‘on the ground’, as well as develop the necessary knowledge, capabilities and networks to ensure success.

The Legatum Center equips Legatum Fellows with the skills they need to succeed, not just as entrepreneurs, but as agents for change in order to transform the emerging markets to which they return. Transformative innovation, the power of free markets, entrepreneurial leadership and grassroots development are the ideas that drive the Legatum Center’s programs, combining to create a platform for sustainable development and prosperity.

Learn more about the Legatum Center Fellowships and whether you are eligible to apply

Seed Grant Program for developing world entrepreneurs

Learn more about Seed Grants and whether you are eligible to apply

Seed Grants are available through the generosity of the Legatum Center’s supporters so that MIT students may explore innovation-driven entrepreneurship (IDE) opportunities in the developing world. Seed Grants fund travel to locations throughout the developing world so students may learn about the local business context, conduct primary market research and pilot prototypes. By supporting early stage entrepreneurial leaders at MIT, the Seed Grant Program enables students to experience opportunities on the ground with the hope that they will address real challenges and create solutions that have the potential to drive economic and social progress across the developing world.

Legatum Center Assistantships

Learn more about Seed Grants and whether you are eligible to apply

The Research Assistantship Program is available to students who have an interest in developing, sharing and implementing business and policy tools that have the potential to drive “on the ground” system change in the developing world through innovation-driven entrepreneurship (IDE).

The Legatum Center creates economic opportunity for ordinary citizens in low-income countries by supporting innovative and transformative business concepts and technologies of aspiring entrepreneurs. The Center has embarked on a mission to not only promote the creation of successful businesses but also to garner attention for these drivers of economic change by profiling them in a case study collection. The Center recognizes that the challenges entrepreneurs in low-income countries face are very different from challenges concerning their domestic counterparts and believe that budding entrepreneurs should be exposed to these realities and be provided with examples of these complex situations in preparation for launching their own businesses. These case studies assist in educating, inspiring and empowering the next generation of entrepreneurs focused on developing world needs.

Case studies are education tools for students and educators, as well as a means of popularizing the idea of entrepreneurism around the world. Further to simply capturing hard data, these case studies also provide compelling stories of entrepreneurs in their own words via video documentary. The Center believes that this is a significant differentiating factor from other cases as it reveals nuances not captured in the analysis of hard facts and can serve as an inspirational story to others.