Halcyon Incubator Program for Early-stage Social Entrepreneurs 2018

Deadline: April 4, 2018

The Halcyon Incubator is now open. The Halcyon Incubator program equips early-stage entrepreneurs with the support they need to transform audacious ideas into scalable and sustainable ventures and change the world.

The Halcyon Incubator is committed to solving 21^st century challenges throughout the nation and the world. By helping social entrepreneurs transform audacious ideas into scalable and sustainable ventures, the Halcyon Incubator acts as a catalyst for measurable social outcomes. It’s perhaps the most immersive incubator in the world that focuses on both social impact and profit.

During this 18-month fellowship, a diverse cohort of fellows receives free residency and workspace, mentorship and leadership coaching, robust support from business consultants, and a living stipend to develop their entrepreneurial vision into reality.

Fellows engage with the program in two major stages:

• Residency (5 months): Fellows live and work at the Halcyon Incubator with unfettered access to expert guidance. They also participate in core programming that includes pitch sessions, a skill development series and other events, ultimately taking part in a “Demo Day” in front of partners and investors.
• Post-Residency (13 months): Fellows continue to work at the Halcyon Incubator, with free access to all resources to further build their networks, secure funding, and grow their venture.

Halcyon’s well-honed methodology fosters creativity through an environment of freedom, access, collaboration and support. It gives prospective impact leaders the physical and mental space to freely take risks and exercise their ingenuity. By removing barriers and supplying resources, Halcyon empowers visionaries regardless of their means or circumstances. In this way, it disrupts the status quo of who has access to entrepreneurship opportunities.

Benefits

Fellows accepted into the program will have access to the following resources:

• Residency, Business and Living Expenses – The Halcyon Incubator was founded to ensure that all social entrepreneurs, regardless of their economic background, can succeed. The program reduces the financial barriers to starting a social venture by providing:
  • Five months of free housing at the historic Halcyon House (Residency Phase)
  • 13 months of free workspace at Halcyon House (Post-Residency Phase)
  • A $10,000 stipend per venture for food and living expenses during the Residency Phase
• Strategic Venture Resources – The Halcyon Incubator has partnered with some of the leading firms in the community to advise and directly support the fellows’ ventures. During the course of the program, fellows receive more than 1,000 hours (in aggregate) of:
  • Strategy and operations consulting provided by Deloitte
  • Legal and business advice through Arnold and Porter LLP 
  • Technical advice and hosting credits through Amazon Web Services
  • One-on-one executive coaching provided in partnership with The HR Sage
• World-Class Network of Mentors and Advisors – The Halcyon Incubator builds a community of support around the fellows by bringing together a robust network of seasoned entrepreneurs, experienced change-makers, and leaders across sectors.
  • Each venture is paired with an experienced, field-specific mentor who provides weekly guidance and support during the Residency Phase.
  • Select dinners and events engage fellows with a robust network of supporters, advisors, and potential funders.
• Critical Audiences – The program helps fellows gain exposure for their ventures to support their long-term sustainability. The Halcyon Incubator provides fellows:
  • Access to entrepreneurs, press, and supporters during a formal debut at Kick-Off, an event at the beginning of the Residency Phase
  • Access to potential funders, investors, and partners during the Halcyon Showcase, an event at the end of the Residency Phase
  • Access to key community figures and innovators at conferences and other events

Eligibility

To be eligible for the Halcyon Incubator:

• Applicant(s) must be at least 21 years of age by the start of the program.
• Applicant(s) must be fluent in English.
• The venture must be the original idea of the applicant(s).
• The venture must be in start-up idea, MVP, or pilot phase.
• The venture must have less than $500,000 annual revenue.
• The venture must be independent and autonomous. Ventures cannot be considered independent or autonomous if they were started under the direction of an existing organization.
• The applicant or applicant’s team must be the primary decision maker for the venture’s development and management.
• Applicant(s) must be able to make a full-time commitment to the venture’s development during the first twelve months of the fellowship.
• Applicant(s) who will be enrolled in a college or university during the time of the fellowship are not eligible.
• Applicant(s) must have legal work status in the United States or be able to obtain a visa for the Residency and Post-Residency phases.
• Applicant(s) must complete the entire online application and submit it and all required documents before the closing date.

Partnerships (ventures co-founded and led by two individuals) may apply as long as both founders meet the above eligibility requirements.

Ventures may be for-profit, hybrid, or undecided, as long as the core mission is to create measurable social change. Ventures structured as ‘non-profit’ will only be considered if they have a product or service they are selling, and that have a business model at their core.

If you have any questions about your eligibility, please contact us at halcyonincubator@halcyonhouse.org.

Selection Criteria

Applications are judged and selected based on the following six criteria:

• Execution. The application is our first introduction; get off on the right foot. Successful applicants have a big vision but also pay careful attention to detail.
• Talent.  Do you have what it takes to lead your venture to success? Strong applicants exhibit characteristics of extraordinary leadership: vision, intelligence, resilience, and follow-through.
• Problem/Solution. Does your venture identify a real and pressing problem and propose a viable solution? Strong applications effectively and narrowly define a pain point and outline a solution that addresses the pain point.
• Sustainability. We’re looking for innovative social ventures that sell a core product or service to achieve impact.
• Impact. Successful applicants demonstrate significant impact as a core part of their venture. We look for impact both in terms of how impactful the core product or service is, and how scalable is the model to spread this impact.
• Innovation. How is your solution to a problem different from current solutions? What sets you apart? We value audacious ideas that disrupt the status quo and move the needle on 21st-century challenges. Think big!

Application

For more information, please contact the Halcyon Incubator team at halcyonincubator@halcyonhouse.org.

Submit your application at Halcyon Incubator Fall 2018 Application

For more information, visit Halcyon Incubator.