Positive impact first
The Entrepreneur Fellowship track «Sustainable Society» supports the foundation of startups that aim to have a positive impact on our society and / or environment.
Innovators supported by the Entrepreneur Fellowship «Sustainable Society» will gain the skills, knowhow and network needed to become confident entrepreneurs in the sustainability and impact space.
Startup projects supported
The program is open for ideas from any research domain and interdisciplinary approaches are explicitly encouraged. Both technical and social innovations are supported. Submissions are evaluated on their impact potential and the program is designed to support the development of startups that set impact first. However, it is crucial that applications also describe a potential business model that can guarantee economic viability of the startup.
Mentoring & Coaching
Every Entrepreneur Fellow is supported by a scientific mentor and a dedicated business coach throughout the Entrepreneur Fellowship.
The mentor is a professor or senior researcher at UZH suggested by the applicant. We recommend choosing a mentor with previous experience in research translation, entrepreneurship and/or partnerships with industry.
At the beginning of the project, the Entrepreneur Fellow chooses a coach from our associated coaches.
Workshops and Training
The fellows in this track will get access to targeted workshops and contacts to support them to become confident entrepreneurs in the sustainability and impact space. In addition, the fellows should participate in an entrepreneurship training to gain knowledge on how to develop a business plan, the role of IP for startups, leadership and company building. Most trainings also provide access to experienced coaches and investors.
Co-working space
Supported projects will gain special access to the Zurich Knowledge Center for Sustainable Development, ZKSD, that includes the possibility to host workshops in the space, access to desk space and special invitation to relevant events.
Learn more about ZKSD: https://zksd.ch/
Jury
Selected candidates will be invited for an interview with the expert jury.
Jury members
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Cyril Zipfel Professor for Molecular and Cellular Plant Physiology, UZH |
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Gabriela Schaepman-Strub Professor of Earth System Science |
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Jeannette Behringer Responsible Sustainability in Research and Teaching, UZH |
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Leigh Pezzicara VP Sustainability at La Prairie |
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Stéphanie Engels Partner at Switzerland Innovation Park Zurich |
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