This year, LaunchLab in partnership with Innovus and the SRC, will be promoting and actively driving a host of student centered initiatives (IdeaSmash, Student Entrepreneurship week, Innovus Bootcamp and Hackhathon).
The overall goal is to foster problem solving capabilities among students, to promote thought leadership and responsible entrepreneurial engagements.
Henk van der Merve founded Lekke Fresh in his second year of studies at Stellenbosch University and gives a first hand experience how LaunchLab is an important connection for students passionate about entrepreneurship. After opening the LaunchLab door, Henk was one of the winners of the IdeaSmash and then got involved in the Fellowship Programme. He has since turned his company from a side hustle into a full time business. LaunchLab helped him with an alternative route where he has kicked off his business in a full time capacity, rather than working for someone else after graduating. Henk explains that LaunchLab is a huge opportunity for students where the programmes and networking aids personal development and finding purpose in wanting to pursue a business.
The LaunchLab Fellowship Programme:
The LaunchLab Fellowship Programme exists to foster collaboration between the wider community of Stellenbosch University students and the LaunchLab startup community, facilitate cutting edge interaction with an elite crop of thought leaders that are eager for exposure to technology incubation and business development and venture commercialization.
We have aligned our programme with Stellenbosch University’s strategic objective, to be Africa’s leading research-intensive University, globally recognized as excellent, inclusive, and innovative. To be a continent leader in entrepreneurial motivation and acceleration as a means of unlocking gems and creating the much needed economic boost through job creation.
Our core aspiration is to harness talent through extracurricular activities, with a very strong focus on creating entrepreneurial mindsets and growing your network for your own future startup endeavours.
Key Objectives:
The 2019 Fellowship Programme objective is mainly to select an elite crop of Student Ambassadors that can:
- Build momentum for high-tech entrepreneurship by engaging with the LaunchLab community.
- Grow your professional network and gain possible internship and work opportunities within the startup ecosystem in the Western Cape.
- Help create momentum for entrepreneurship by helping to coordinate events and other forms of educational and social activities on behalf of the LaunchLab for the wider student community in Stellenbosch.
The Fellowship program is a voluntary internship program that is a lightweight commitment but an effective way to build your professional resume while studying at Stellenbosch University, thereby giving you an edge upon the completion of your tenure.
We have 4 slots for 8 SU scholars and thought leaders that are interested in specific leadership portfolio/positions under the fellowship program as follows:
- Community and events
- Alumni liaison and industry interaction
- Ideation and validation (key personnel for IdeaSmash)
- Student activation and marketing
Read more about the Student Programmes here: https://launchlab.co.za/startups-entrepreneurs/students/
Apply below to be part of the Fellowship Programme:
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