Acumen Academy Green RISE Africa Fellowship 2026 for Early-stage Green Entrepreneurs

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Applications are open for Acumen Academy Green RISE Africa Fellowship 2026. The Green RISE Africa Fellowship (Resilient Impact through Sustainable Entrepreneurship) is a six-month hybrid leadership program that equips entrepreneurs with the tools, frameworks, and networks needed to grow sustainable, climate-aligned businesses.

Unlike traditional business programs, this fellowship focuses on moral leadership —helping participants develop the values, mindset, and decision-making skills required to create long-term, inclusive impact. Fellows remain in their current roles while engaging in virtual learning, in-person immersives, and peer collaboration.

The program is designed to support entrepreneurs who are not only building businesses, but also creating dignified work opportunities , particularly for women and youth in underserved communities.

Throughout the Fellowship, entrepreneurs gain practical tools, frameworks, and community to strengthen their leadership capacity, refine their business models, expand inclusive green jobs, and grow climate-aligned solutions across the region.

Green RISE Africa Fellowship Benefits

Green RISE Africa Fellows gain access to these selective opportunities:

Impact-focused learning
- Get training on how to create dignified and sustainable green-sector jobs for women and youth across your value chain
Community
- Join a community of values aligned climate-focused social entrepreneurs offering collaboration, peer learning, and shared experiences
Accelerate growth
- Get the chance to enroll in the Green RISE Africa Accelerator program to strengthen your business model
Access to funding
- Opportunities to receive funding for projects through Angels Green RISE Africa to increase impact

Green RISE Africa Fellowship Structure

Fellows remain in their jobs and participate in a 6-month hybrid program consisting of virtual sessions, in-person immersives, and self-paced learning. Fellows are expected to commit up to 10 hours each month to the Fellowship.

This is a high-level program overview:

One 3-day virtual Orientation
One 2-day virtual Workshop
Two 5-day full-time in-person immersives (8 hours of assignments for each immersive consisting of self-paced learning and group calls). In-person immersives will be held in Nigeria and Kenya.
Three Learning Labs (4 hours each along with assignments)
Monthly virtual cohort learning and peer connection sessions requiring attendance at specific dates and times
One-on-one support calls with the program team throughout the Fellowship
Self-paced work to be completed by the individual Fellow (including online lessons, assignments, and readings)

Upon completing the Green RISE Africa Fellowship, entrepreneurs join The Foundry, Acumen’s global alumni community, and a climate-focused Community of Practice to grow green jobs for young women and youth in rural Africa.

For the first 6 months after graduation, Fellows will contribute ~10 hours per month engaging in this collaborative space to learn, share practical experience, and strengthen solutions that drive real-world impact.

Fellows may also get access to opportunities that help catalyze youth-in-work initiatives, including the potential for project funding to deepen impact.

Available Fellowship Tracks

The Green RISE West Africa Fellowship
- The Green RISE West Africa Fellowship is open to entrepreneurs working in Nigeria, Ghana, Liberia, Sierra Leone, and The Gambia who are driving climate solutions and solving problems of poverty by creating dignified work and green job opportunities for young rural women and youth.
The Green RISE East Africa Fellowship
- The East Africa track is open to entrepreneurs in countries such as Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Ethiopia, Burundi, South Sudan, and Somalia.

It focuses on strengthening climate-aligned business models , improving resilience, and scaling impact across communities. Fellows participate in in-person immersives in Kenya and benefit from access to regional and global expertise.