MBAs Without Borders and Agora Partnerships team up to launch Agora Fellows Program
The Agora Fellows program is a new initiative by Agora Partnerships to bring extraordinary entrepreneurial talent directly into developing world small businesses during their critical growth phase. MBAs Without Borders is a proud partner of Agora Partnerships and believes in the value and strength it is bringing to the economic development of Nicaragua.
Program Overview
Agora Fellows are management, finance, and development professionals who work for 4-6 months to assist the leadership teams of Agora portfolio companies in setting up managerial processes and executing the business plan.
Fellows are assigned to specific companies and act in a consulting role to help address core needs of the venture as identified by the management team and Board. The focus could be on financial operations, HR systems, marketing, strategy or the myriad of other business challenges that face developing world entrepreneurs.
Fellows are full-time, senior advisers to the company, working at its headquarters and interacting daily with the entrepreneurs in a high stakes, resources constrained environment that is both immensely challenging and deeply rewarding.
Fellows receive training, on-going support, and camaraderie from Agora and MWB staff, and also contribute to overall strategy and portfolio management at Agora Partnerships.
About Agora Partnerships
Agora Partnerships is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing talented entrepreneurs in emerging markets with the tools, networks, and financing necessary to launch successful, socially responsible businesses – the kind that can create decent, long term jobs. We seek to create opportunities for talent to flourish in environments normally characterized by closed social networks and inefficient markets. Agora is currently in Nicaragua and aims to achieve rapid scale and replicate worldwide. Our mission is to identify the leadership talent of the developing world and unleash it.
For more information, please visit: http://www.agorapartnerships.org/
Purpose
1. Professional, full time assistance to start up companies increases the odds for success during the critical first months of implementing a growth strategy and can help set the processes and procedures to increase the likelihood of long term success.
2. Skills transfer between Fellows and entrepreneurs and vice versa increase human capital. The Fellowship represents an extraordinary opportunity for MBA professionals and small business entrepreneurs to work closely together, establish cross cultural friendships, business
linkages, and learn from one another.
Becoming a Fellow
Agora Partnerships has established a partnership with MBAs Without Borders (MWB), which brings innovative solutions to developing countries by matching experienced business volunteers with local businesses. Agora’s partnership with MWB significantly reduces the administrative costs to finding great talent and allows Fellows to enjoy all of the benefits of working with MWB, an
organization whose sole mission is to provide outstanding opportunities for business professionals to make a difference in the developing world.
To learn more about the Fellowship program and positions currently available, please visit: http://projects.mbaswithoutborders.org.