Agora I Accelerator. The Agora Fellowship. “Men and women wanted for
hazardous journey. Low wages, bitter cold, long hours of complete darkness.
A g o r a I A c c e l e r a t o r
The Agora Fellowship
“Men and women wanted for hazardous journey. Low wages, bitter cold, long hours of complete darkness. Safe return doubtful. Honor and recognition in event of success.” – London Newspaper advertisement posted by Sir Ernest Shackleton
About Agora Agora Partnerships is a social enterprise dedicated to unleashing the potential of early-‐stage impact entrepreneurs to create economic, social, and environmental value for their communities. Agora provides entrepreneurs in Latin America with strategy consulting, leadership development, networking, and access to growth capital. Agora’s theory of change is based on the belief that impact entrepreneurs are the prime engines of economic progress in developing countries. By providing holistic and integrated support Agora works to promote investment and education, and provide visibility and support to businesses that can drive sustainable development in their communities. Agora is changing how people access opportunity in the world’s poorest countries and is accelerating the emergence of a strong community of successful impact entrepreneurs in Latin America. Agora Partnerships is supported by Ashoka, the DOEN Foundation, the Rockefeller Foundation and other leading philanthropic investors. For more information on Agora Partnerships, please visit our website.
The Agora Fellowship The Agora Fellowship Program places passionate and talented individuals in our Nicaragua office to work as strategic advisors to our local team and the entrepreneurs we support. The program aims at providing the Fellow with a deeper understanding of entrepreneurship and impact investing in Latin America, as well as Agora's role in supporting and developing the region’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. From attending conferences to working in the field with entrepreneurs, Agora Fellows work where innovation meets development. As Fellows, individuals will be given unprecedented opportunity to create tangible and measurable impact. Fellows have the unique opportunity to work closely with local entrepreneurs and take on leadership throughout a fascinating process, from refining of business plans through investor readiness exercises, due diligence and potentially deal closing. Fellows are treated as team members and find a strong sense of community among the Agora community, both in and outside of the office. Upon completion of the program, Fellows join a tight-‐knit circle of Agora alumni who continue to make a positive impact on the world, and a vast network of partners committed to the field of impact investing.
What do Agora Fellows do? We are a small organization so assignments are flexible and adapted to the organization’s needs as well as the candidate’s strengths. We are currently hiring fellows to provide key support for our signature initiative, The Accelerator Program. The Accelerator program is a leadership and business development program that, through highly customized training, consulting, and mentoring, helps impact entrepreneurs harness growth opportunities and increase their social and environmental impact. The program culminates in an Investor Conference, which, in its inaugural year 2011, helped catalyze over $3.5M in potential impact investments for the nine participating businesses within 48 hours of the event. Fellows will work directly with the management teams of the Accelerator companies on addressing their individual needs and overcoming the specific challenges they are facing. Specifically, the fellows’ tasks include, but are not limited to the following: •
Management of regular communication with entrepreneurs to acquire in-‐depth understanding of their companies’ business model, including strengths and challenges.
A g o r a I A c c e l e r a t o r
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Development and honing of strategy for entrepreneurs’ market entry, product development, and internal process management. Analysis of competitive advantage. Detailed analysis of capabilities, risks and impact of each company. Thorough secondary research is essential to this process and needs to be done diligently. Strategic and management advisory to Accelerator portfolio companies. This may include connecting them with mentors and other resources. Leadership in efforts to measure and assess the social impact of Accelerator companies. Analysis of entrepreneurs’ financial systems and reporting. Revision and creation of historic and pro-‐forma financials and growth projections. Consulting in investment and finance-‐related topics, including valuation and IRR analysis. Guidance and coaching to entrepreneur to help them develop an effective pitch presentation for the investor conference. Creation of teasers for Accelerator companies. Performance of due diligence, compilation of investment packet. Creation of communication and marketing materials for Accelerator companies to be used in Agora publications.
Who are Agora fellows? We seek candidates who are passionate about helping small businesses in poor countries succeed and in establishing personal and professional relationships with developing world entrepreneurs. We are looking for an outstanding and highly selective group of individuals with excellent business and inter-‐personal skills, humility, curiosity, and a genuine desire to face and solve developing world business challenges. Spanish fluency is required, as are high ethics and low ego. A good sense of humor does not hurt either. More specifically, we look for the following qualifications in potential candidates: • • • • • • • • • •
MBA or other related graduate degree. Candidates who do not have a graduate degree but have significant related work experience will also be considered. Experience in venture capital, management consulting, extensive international development field-‐work, or social entrepreneurship. Knowledge of and commitment to the field of impact investing and impact entrepreneurship. Strong work ethic and ability to self-‐manage. High attention to detail and excellent time management skills are necessary. Excellent communication skills, both verbal and written. Fluency in both spoken and written Spanish. Strong Excel skills required. Financial modeling experience a plus. Comfort working in a small, entrepreneurial and highly dynamic organization. A sincere dedication to our mission and commitment to sustainable economic development. Willingness to commit to living in Nicaragua for the duration of the fellowship
Compensation and Benefits • • • •
Group housing in Managua (Nicaragua) with the other fellows Monthly stipend (dependent on experience) Access to development networking events and impact investing conferences Unique opportunity to be a part of a growing organization dedicated to supporting small businesses in the developing world as a force for good.
How do I apply? Please email resume and cover letter to
[email protected] with the subject line “Fellowship Application”. Candidates will be contacted by e-‐mail to set up a telephone or in-‐person interview. Decisions will be made on a rolling basis.
