Careers

Global Opportunity Fellowship GO: AFRICA

Supporting recent HBS graduates who want to make a difference working in Africa

Thanks to generous alumni support, the Global Opportunity Fellowship | GO: AFRICA will support graduating HBS students and recent alumni who are making a difference working in Africa.

The GO Fellowship is awarded to a limited number of students who accept a full-time, post-HBS job in Africa, or are a founder of a new venture in Africa*, with total guaranteed annual compensation of less than $110,000 USD.

Award amounts are designed to bridge the gap between the recipient’s salary and $110,000 USD, with a maximum award of up to $50,000 USD per year. For example, if recipient’s salary is $75,000 USD, the GO Fellowship may be up to $35,000 USD.

Beginning with graduates from the MBA Class of 2018, alumni will be eligible for the GO Fellowship for up to 5 years after graduation. The cumulative amount of post-graduation career exploration funds that an HBS graduate may receive in their lifetime from all HBS and Harvard University sources is capped at $150,000 USD.

Application deadline: April 25, 2022 (the online application is available beginning April 1, 2022)

Note that demand for the program (i.e., the size of the applicant pool and availability of funds) will determine the number of GO Africa Fellowships the School is able to grant in a given year as well as the size of each fellowship award. It is not guaranteed that a fellowship recipient with a $50,000 salary will not receive a $50,000 award.

* For startups, preference is to fund operational businesses across all sectors. Consulting, research, and/or brokerage services, as well as investment funds (including but not limited to hedge funds, private equity funds, search funds, and venture capital funds) are ineligible for funding.

Eligibility

Eligibility and selection are determined by a Review Committee and awards are distributed on a funds-available basis.

  1. You are an MBA graduate from the Class of 2018 or later. A note for alumni who are first-time applicants: the Review Committee's preference is to (1) fund new graduates as they re-enter the workforce, and (2) renew fellowships for existing GO Africa recipients before funding alumni who have been working for 1-4 years post-MBA.
  2. You have accepted a full-time, MBA appropriate job offer at an existing organization or you are a founder of a new venture. A full-time job is defined as working 35 hours or more per week with a projected tenure of 12 months or longer. A note for joiners: the Review Committee's preference is to fund applicants joining operating companies over those joining investment funds/vehicles. Note for founders: see "Application Process for Founders" section below for details about limitations on capital raised and revenue.
  3. Your job is based in Africa (one of the 54 recognized states in Africa or 10 non-sovereign territories). Applicants who are based outside of Africa but focus their work on Africa and/or travel to the region regularly for business are ineligible for the fellowship.
  4. Your total guaranteed annual compensation is less than $110,000 USD. Additional compensation including but not limited to signing bonuses, relocation/moving expenses, and housing allowances will be added to the base salary to determine the applicant’s total guaranteed compensation.
  5. You were not sponsored for, nor did you receive reimbursement for, your MBA tuition or MBA-related expenses, be that during your time as an HBS student, currently, or in the future. This includes both employer sponsorship and merit-based scholarships from non-employers; it does not include need-based fellowships awarded by HBS Financial Aid.
  6. Your employment start date is on or before January 4, 2023. If your start date is after January 2, 2023, you are invited to apply in April 2023 for the 2023 application cycle.
  7. You are in good academic and community standing, and remain so for the duration of your fellowship (see Policies & Student Conduct).

NOTE: While financial need is not required for eligibility, preference is given to GO Africa applicants who demonstrated financial need while a student (as determined by HBS MBA Financial Aid), particularly when demand for the program is high.

If you are still conducting your full-time job search for a role in Africa and would like to have a conversation to assess your eligibility for the GO Fellowship, please contact Phillip Andrews, HBS Career & Professional Development, 617.495.6086, phandrews@hbs.edu.

See the FAQs section below for common questions about eligibility.

GO Fellowship applicants and recipients agree to abide by the HBS Community Values and the MBA Honor Code.

The following positions are ineligible for GO Fellowship awards:

  • Part-time, term, temporary, contract or volunteer roles.
  • A position with job responsibilities that are determined to be sectarian by the Review Committee.
  • Political campaign work. Given the restrictions under Federal and certain state laws on political activity by organizations such as Harvard University, HBS will not provide funding for political campaign work.
  • Founders of consulting, research, and/or brokerage services, as well as investment funds (including but not limited to hedge funds, private equity funds, search funds, and venture capital funds).

Awards

Award amounts are determined based on total funds available, a thorough review of the application, and an analysis of the applicant’s projected monthly income.

Awards are designed to bridge the gap between the recipient’s total guaranteed annual compensation (“salary”) and $110,000 USD, with a maximum award of up to $50,000 USD per year. For example, if recipient’s salary is $75,000 USD, the GO Fellowship may be up to $35,000 USD.

The annual program cycle is July 1 – June 30 and awards will be pro-rated for the length of eligible employment within the program cycle. For recipients who begin working after July 1, their award amount will be reduced by 8.3% (or 1/12) for each month after July in which they do not begin working. The table below outlines how a recipient’s award is prorated based on their employment start date. In this example, the recipient’s salary is $75,000 USD and their GO Fellowship award is $35,000 USD (8.3% or 1/12 of award = $2,916.66 USD).

Employment Start Date Amount Received (USD)
On or before July 1 $35,000.00
August 1 $32,083.34
September 1 $29,166.68
October 1 $26,250.02
November 1 $23,333.36
December 1 $20,416.70
January 1 $17,500.04

Starting with the MBA Class of 2018, alumni will be eligible for the GO Fellowship for up to 5 years after graduation.

The cumulative amount of post-graduation career exploration funds that an HBS graduate may receive in their lifetime from all HBS and Harvard University sources is capped at $150,000 USD. Sources include, but are not limited to, the HBS Social Enterprise Loan Repayment Assistance Program, HBS Loan Reduction for Private Sector Employees Program, HBS Rock Center Loan Reduction for Entrepreneurs Program, and the HBS Search Fund Fellowship.

AWARD PAYMENT: You will receive your GO Fellowship funds in two disbursements, each for half of the total award amount. The first payment will be sent to you in July after graduation and once HBS has received verification that you’ve started your job. The second payment will be sent 6 months later - most likely in January - once HBS has received and reviewed a summary of your compensation (HBS will request compensation verification such as a paystub reflecting your first six months of pay, or other similar documentation) and has received your donor thank-you letter (see FAQs below for more information). HBS expects that you will stay current on any of your student loan obligations.

TAX TREATMENT: GO Fellowship awards are reportable to the recipient. Upon receiving an award, recipients will be required to complete tax documents for submission to HBS. Failure to supply these forms within 30 days from notification of award will lead to forfeiture of your GO Fellowship award. We suggest you consult your tax professional for questions about your tax liability. Neither HBS nor Harvard University may provide tax advice. NOTE: HBS will not be able to make payments in jurisdictions where such payments may violate gift ban rules, create a local tax obligation for HBS, create an employment relationship, create a business presence or similar. This list is not inclusive and each payment will be analyzed on a case by case basis. The final determination of whether or not a payment can be made rests solely with HBS.

CHANGES IN EMPLOYMENT: Funding is provided to the recipient for a specific opportunity and may not be transferred to a new opportunity without review and approval of the Review Committee. You must inform HBS if, during the time between when you are granted a GO Fellowship award and your employment start date, you no longer intend to work for the employer (e.g. you renege your acceptance or the employer rescinds your offer), work in Africa, or you are a founder and decide to close your venture.

You are required to inform HBS if, within 12 months of your employment start date, either of the following occur:

  • Your total guaranteed annual compensation increases from the amount upon which your GO Fellowship award was based; and/or
  • You have a change in employment status, including reduction to less than full-time, termination, change in employment location to outside of Africa, or change in employer.
Application Process for Joiners

To be considered for the GO Fellowship, you must complete and submit the online application. Via the online application, upload a personal statement and additional supporting materials as outlined below.

PERSONAL STATEMENT (approximately 500 words) explaining:
  • Your interest in Africa and how you hope to make a difference by working in the region.
  • Your long-term career goals and how working in Africa fits with your goals and/or how working in Africa will contribute to your career development.
  • The nature of your role, the specific activities you will perform, projects you are expected to complete with clear deliverables, and how your role fits within the organization.
  • Why you are sought this specific position and the skills you hope to apply in the role.
  • How will your previous experience or background enhance your ability to excel in this position?
  • How does this position specifically fit with your long-term career goals and/or contribute to your career development?

SUPPORTING MATERIALS:
  1. A copy of your final offer letter/contract showing total compensation details and job location, signed and dated by you;
  2. Your employment start date;
  3. Confirmation from the hiring organization acknowledging receipt of your offer acceptance. A dated letter on the organization’s official letterhead or a dated email between you and the organization will suffice.

To receive a GO Fellowship award in each or any of the 5 years of eligibility after your graduation from HBS, you will need to re-apply annually.

Application Process for Founders

To be considered for the GO Fellowship, you must complete and submit the online applicationn. Via the online application, upload a personal statement and an executive brief as outlined below.

PERSONAL STATEMENT (maximum of 500 words) explaining:
  • Your interest in Africa and how you hope to make a difference by working in the region.
  • Your long-term career goals and how working in Africa fits with your goals and/or how working in Africa will contribute to your career development.


EXECUTIVE BRIEF (6-8 pages) that includes the following information about your venture:

Management Team
  • Provide team information, including relevant work experience/skills and education.

Business Product or Service
  • Describe your primary product/service and its core value proposition.
  • Describe your business model.
  • Describe its stage of development (concept, prototype, beta, growth, etc.).
  • Describe your primary source of competitive advantage.
  • Summarize plans include developing [x, y, and z] in [year or time frame].

The Market
  • Define target market/customer.
  • Define your category/industry.
  • Describe their pain points and willingness to pay and adopt.
  • Define total market size and the expected growth [x%] by [year]. If B2B, may identify current/anticipated notable customers as example.

Competition
  • Describe current direct competition and substitutes.
  • Describe why your product/service is unique/superior (Ex. We will have a competitive advantage because of our [speed to market, established brand name, low cost producer status).
  • Define any new companies you anticipate may enter this market in the near future.

Key Milestones
  • Describe important milestones you have accomplished thus far (include team building, funding, product development, testing proof of concept, additional tests/experiments).
  • Provide a roadmap outlining critical milestones and objectives you hope to accomplish for the following time frames: 3 months post-HBS; 6 months post-HBS; 1-year post-HBS; and, 18 months post-HBS.

Risk/Opportunity
  • Describe the greatest risks associated with your business today and why/how you will overcome them (examples might include competitive, regulatory, political risks).
  • Describe your biggest recognized opportunities.

Capital Requirements
  • Define how much capital you will need prior to becoming cash flow positive and how those funds will be spent.
  • Note: to be eligible for a GO Fellowship, your venture must meet the following limitations for total capital raised/invested equity/debt:
    • Graduating student applicant: may not have raised more than $1,500,000 USD
    • Alumni applicant: may not have raised more than $2,500,000 USD
    • These amounts include money received through grants, awards, and other funding sources. Invested capital is defined as funding appearing on the business’ balance sheet at the time application is submitted.

Exit Potential
  • Opportunities for exit in your venture, if applicable.

Financial Snapshot
  • Annual revenue and net income projections for three years (supplemental information should include a cash flow statement and balance sheet, if available).
  • Note: to be eligible for a GO Fellowship, your venture may not have generated revenue of more than $2,000,000 USD.

To receive a GO Fellowship award in each or any of the 5 years of eligibility after your graduation from HBS, you will need to re-apply annually on April 25.

Application Deadline

The application opens on April 1, 2022, with a submission deadline of April 25, 2022.

Applications will not be reviewed prior to the application deadline.

Award decisions will be made by May 13, 2022 and communicated to the applicant using their HBS E-Mail address.

FAQs
  • Will I get assistance from CPD for my job search in Africa?
    • You are encouraged to use CPD’s resources, which are available to you for life, including job postings, company contacts, networking tools, 1-to-1 career coaching, and general job search tactics.
  • Are part-time, term, temporary, or contract positions eligible?
    • No. The position must be a full-time, MBA appropriate job as determined by the Review Committee. We define a full-time job as working 35 hours or more per week with a projected tenure of 12 months or longer. Part-time, term, temporary or contract positions are ineligible for the fellowship.
  • What if I do not accept a full-time job offer by the application deadline?
    • Applicants who have not accepted a full-time employment offer by the 2022 application deadline are invited to apply in the 2023 application cycle.
  • What if my employment start date is after January 2, 2023?
    • Applicants who begin their employment after January 4, 2023 are invited to apply in the 2023 application cycle.
  • Does my job in Africa need to be approved by HBS?
    • Yes, as noted in the eligibility and application information, the Review Committee will review your job offer to verify that it meets the compensation requirements and is an MBA appropriate position, and is therefore approved for GO Fellowship funding.
  • I have not yet received a job offer for Africa, but I am actively searching. Can I apply?
    • We ask that you apply once you have accepted an offer. However, if you deciding between offers that you've received, or are still conducting your full-time job search, and would like to discuss your eligibility for the GO Fellowship, please contact Phillip Andrews, HBS Career & Professional Development, 617.495.6086, phandrews@hbs.edu.
  • How many GO Fellowships are awarded each year?
    • There is not a specific number of annual fellowship awards. A small number of fellowships have been awarded each year (less than 7).
  • Do I have to have need-based financial aid in order to qualify for GO?
    • While financial need is not required for eligibility, preference is given to GO Africa applicants who have demonstrated financial need as determined by HBS MBA Financial Aid.
  • If I am also eligible for an HBS loan assistance program, may I participate in that program and the GO Fellowship?
  • What if my role is not based in Africa, but my work focuses on Africa? (e.g. NGO in the U.S. or U.K. or private equity firm investing in Africa)
    • The GO: AFRICA Fellowship is only available to applicants who are based in and working full-time in Africa (one of the 54 recognized states in Africa or 10 non-sovereign territories). Applicants who are based outside of Africa but focus their work on Africa and/or travel to the region regularly for business are ineligible for the fellowship.
  • Are locations in the Middle East eligible for GO: AFRICA?
    • The GO: AFRICA Fellowship is only available to applicants who are based in and working full-time in Africa (one of the 54 recognized states in Africa or 10 non-sovereign territories). Locations in the Middle East are not considered an Africa location for purposes of this fellowship.
  • Should I disclose to recruiters/potential employers that I am eligible for the GO Fellowship?
    • It is not necessary that you disclose this to recruiters.
  • Will I need to re-apply for GO each year?
    • Yes, you will need to re-apply to the GO Fellowship in each subsequent year that you are eligible.
  • How will I receive my award payment?
    • You will receive your GO Fellowship funds in two disbursements, each for half of the total award amount. The first payment will be sent to you in July and the second payment will be sent in January. Upon receipt of the fellowship, details will be shared with you about payment options. Fellowship recipients with a U.S. bank account may have the option to receive funds electronical through Zelle. Recipients without a U.S. bank account will be sent a physical check via FedEx.
  • Is my award taxable?
    • Yes, GO Fellowship awards will be considered reportable to the recipient. Upon receiving an award, recipients will be required to complete tax documents for submission to HBS. Failure to supply these forms within 30 days from notification of award will lead to forfeiture of your GO Fellowship award. We suggest you consult your tax professional for questions about your tax liability. HBS or Harvard University cannot provide tax advice.
  • Do I have to write a thank-you letter to my donor?
    • Fellowship recipients are matched with the donors who make this program possible. Donors appreciate hearing about your work and how the fellowship has supported your career path. The School compiles thank-you letters from award recipients as a symbol of donor appreciation and stewardship. Following receipt of your award, HBS will inform you of the name of the donor to whom you are matched. It is mandatory for award recipients to write a thank-you letter to their donor(s) and is required to receive the second disbursement.