Invested Development is excited to partner with The Monterey Institute of International Studies to offer on-the-ground internships and formal training through The Frontier Market Scouts Program. The following is the formal announcement from the Monterey Institute.
The Frontier Market Scouts (FMS) Program selects and trains aspiring professionals who desire a career in social venture and impact investing. Jointly developed and managed by the Monterey Institute of International Studies, Sanghata Global, and Village Capital, the FMS program turns compassionate and capable young professionals into talent scouts and investment managers serving local entrepreneurs and social-minded investors in low-income and weak-capital regions of the world.
The scouts provide due diligence for investors and technical assistance for entrepreneurs with the goal of generating high-quality deal flows and supporting portfolio companies at a low cost. The Scouts’ mission is to enable the enterprising poor to scale poverty alleviation in capital-weak areas of emerging markets, while gaining career defining and life changing experience.
The Opportunity
Frontier Market Scouts is offering an innovative, unmatched training program in impact investment and social enterprise management. Formal training is followed by a six-month internship in regions with active social entrepreneurial development activities and identified potential partners, including but not limited to Ahmedabad, Beirut, Bhutan, Cairo, Cape Town, Chennai, Chengdu, Dubai, Ecuador, Hong Kong, London, Mexico City, Mumbai, Nairobi, Nicaragua, Peru, and Sao Paolo. Two-month internships (June – August) are also available with select partners.
Summer/Fall 2012 placement partners include:
Village Capital (www.vilcap.com)
- Scouts assist Village Capital in either managing / setting-up existing social enterprise accelerator programs, or searching for new potential accelerator opportunities around the globe. A scout’s primary responsibility is working to connect social entrepreneurs with impact investors and providing them with the tools they need to successfully complete the accelerator process.
- Internship opportunities exist in over 20 countries around the globe
The Shell Foundation (www.shellfoundation.org)
- A number of 6-month internship opportunities are available with Shell Foundation’s energy and Small /Medium Enterprise finance partners in India and Africa including Husk Power Systems (India and Africa), M-Kopa (Kenya), Envirofit (India and Africa), IntelleGrow (India), and Dharma (India
Invested Development (www.investeddevelopment.com)
- Invested Development’s BETA initiative is focused on co-creating scalable high-impact enterprises focused on Mobile Technology or Alternative Energy applications in emerging markets. Invested Development interns can expect to work in country and report directly to senior management. Specific projects will be designed around company needs and the intern’s skills but will be managerial by nature and will require a high level of independence, flexibility, and comfort working in low-resource environments.
- Three opportunities are currently available working with Invested Development projects in South Africa and Kenya.
How Does the Fellowship Program Work?
The Frontier Market Scouts Program provides intensive, two- and one-week trainings that introduce participants to the world of social impact investing and venture management. The Monterey, California-based trainings also prepare participants for the opportunity to work directly with local entrepreneurs and impact investors during a two- (summer only) or six-month field program in the global hotspots for social entrepreneurship. FMS has partnered with the Sanghata Global Institute, Village Capital, the Shell Foundation, and Invested Development to provide the human capital needed for the continued development of impact investment and social enterprise as means for poverty alleviation and sustainable development.
Other Terms
- Training: Leading professionals in the impact investing and social entrepreneurship industry and Monterey Institute Faculty will provide Scouts with necessary training on how to develop and execute a successful project in the social enterprise/impact investment management space. Merit-based training scholarships are available for highly qualified applications. For a full description of the training curriculum, visit www.FMScouts.org.
- Access: Scouts will be provided with full access to the Partner’s worldwide network of incubators, additional partners, entrepreneurs, and investors.
- Support: Field partners and the Monterey Institute will provide professional guidance and support, and connect Scouts with local partners. Scouts are responsible for making travel and living arrangements with assistance from local partners and Monterey Institute
- Stipend: Partners will provide a minimum stipend of US$200 (varying by partner and location) per month for up to six months. Additional field program scholarships may be available.
- Selection of Scouts will be jointly made by field partners and the FMS Program.
Timeline
Selected scouts will participate in a pre-departure training in Monterey, California from May 29 through June 12, 2012. Scouts will depart for six-month field assignments with field partners in July with completion of the program at the end of December 2012. Summer-only scouts will receive pre-departure training from May 29 though June 2, 2012 and will depart for a two-month field assignment with field partners in June with completion in mid-August 2012.
Benefits
Program provides a graduate-level pre-departure training, unmatched experience with industry leaders and projects, and a minimum US$200 monthly stipend. Additional funding to offset travel, training, and living costs may be available.
Who are we seeking?
FMS is looking for passionate and pragmatic idealists who hold a strong belief in enterprise and market development as the most important means to large scale and sustainable improvement of living standards in developing countries. The ideal Frontier Market Scout also has a solid background in business and management, and a superb aptitude for immersive learning in dramatically different environments. Applicants should have a Bachelor’s degree or its equivalent. A limited number of training scholarships, including full scholarships, are available for highly qualified applications.
Interested fellows should apply online at http://go.miis.edu/fmsapp by April 1, 2012. For more information visit http://www.fmscouts.org or contact Carolyn Taylor Meyer at (831) 647-6417.
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