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GAP Chicago Call for Mentee Applications

Welcome

In 2012, Vital Voices and Bank of America launched a signature partnership to advance women’s economic empowerment through leadership development and skills-building.  The Global Ambassadors Program connects extraordinary women leaders to a unique mentorship opportunity, including one-on-one mentoring sessions and strategic workshops focused on building organizational management, financial acumen and leadership skills.

At each week-long Global Ambassadors Program, we bring together between eight to twelve women leaders (mentees) from business, social enterprise or non-profit organizations around the world to work with a cohort of Global Ambassadors, established women executives from a range of sectors and organizations, on the challenges facing mentees and their organizations.  The mentees are at a tipping point in their professional, organizational and leadership paths.  Sessions are designed to offer opportunities for coaching and skills-development, from strategic planning to team management, effective communications, building a stronger balance sheet and growing revenue streams.

The Global Ambassadors Program being held in Chicago, Illinois (September 11-15, 2017) will address the ongoing needs and challenges facing women leaders engaged in the private sector, social enterprise and non-profits from the Chicago area in the United States, as well from countries around the world, and will underscore the critical function that women can and must play in moving local economies forward and highlight the role of women as drivers of innovation and socio-economic growth.
 
This program provides a unique opportunity for women leaders in business, social enterprise and non-profits to invest in themselves and their leadership journey. For further insights, we are pleased to share a short video clip from a mentee’s perspective http://bit.ly/2nBXUuQ  and a blog http://www.global-ambassadors.org/story/walk-across-two-continents from a mentor’s perspective.
 
All travel, meals and accommodation costs for mentees participating in this program are covered in full by the Global Ambassadors Program.
 
Mentee Eligibility
Mentees will be women who are:
  • leaders of non-profit organizations and institutions
  • businesswomen, entrepreneurs or social entrepreneurs
We will select mentees from:
  1. United States – the Chicago area 
  2. All other countries outside of the US
Mentee/Applicant Selection Criteria:
  • All program sessions will be conducted in English and mentees must be able to converse and present fluently in English.
  • Applicants must be able to commit to attending the full 5 days of the program commencing on Monday morning and ending on Friday night.
  • Applicants must have the capacity to take advantage of a senior executive as a mentor (i.e. must be able to develop and implement strategic plans, marketing strategy or business plans).
  • Applicants must have a minimum of 10-20 years of experience in a professional setting.
  • The applicant must have worked in her existing enterprise / organization for at least 5-7 years.
  • The applicant's enterprise / organization should have a minimum annual revenue of at least US$ 250,000 and a maximum annual turnover of US$ 10 million
  • Applicants must be the lead decision-maker within their enterprise/organization. i.e. they should be the CEO / President / Managing Director / Owner / Founder etc. 
  • Applicants are interested in shaping the community dialogue about women’s advancement in their region, and wield the influence necessary to do so.
Please note we are unable to consider applicants who do not meet the criteria listed above.

Applicants are required to:
  • Complete and submit this online Application Questionnaire
  • Submit a two-minute video  (described in the last section of this application)
This online application process may take up to 2 hours to complete. Applications should be submitted by Friday, June 30th, 2017. Any incomplete applications, or any applications received after Friday June 30th, 2017 will not be considered. Applications submitted without the 2 minute video will not be considered.
 
If selected to participate in this program, mentees will be required to submit a complete business plan at least 6 weeks before the start of the program.

If you need to exit the survey before finishing it, please click "save and continue later" at the top of the page. This will allow you to enter an email address to receive a link to your partially completed application.

Thank you.
 
Program Participation Commitment:

Please indicate below your willingness to commit to program requirements.
1. Successful applicants (mentees) who are accepted to participate in this program will be expected to make a full commitment to the following: *This question is required.
A. Complete a baseline survey which goes into more detail about your professional experience, organizational goals, your work-related skills, mentorship experience and community engagement. This survey will be completed and submitted to Vital Voices before the 4th August 2017. *This question is required.
B. Participate in approximately 5 Program Orientation / Preparation online webinars during the months of July and August 2017 (a webinar is an online event that will be hosted by Vital Voices and broadcast to the select group of participating mentees through their computers via the Internet) *This question is required.
C. Submit their organization’s completed business plan or strategic plan to Vital Voices before 25th August 2017 *This question is required.
D. Submit all required documentation that may be requested, in English, e.g. business plan, financial reports etc.
Documentation will treated with the utmost confidentiality and will include :
  • Completed business plan, to be submitted by 25th August 2017
  • Supporting financial documents, such as Profit & Loss sheets, 2 year Cash Flow projections (allows for your mentor to better understand your organization)
  • Your organization / company logo (may be used in the training session on Branding & Marketing)
*This question is required.
E. Participate in the Global Ambassadors Program’s full week of events and activities taking place in Chicago, IL, in the United States starting with a welcome dinner on Sunday 10th September 2017 and ending in the late evening of Friday 15th September 2017 (participants will be expected to arrive in Chicago on Sunday 10th September and depart on Saturday 16th September morning) *This question is required.
F. Submit quarterly updates to Vital Voices for two full years after participating in the program in Chicago *This question is required.
G. Remain in contact with Vital Voices after participation in the program in order to share success stories etc *This question is required.
2. Do you agree to work with Vital Voices to track the growth of your business or organization for up to 3 years through methods such as surveys, phone and/or Skype calls, or additional opportunities?
Your individual and business information will remain confidential. *This question is required.
IF YOU ANSWERED ‘NO’ TO ANY OF THE ABOVE QUESTIONS, PLEASE DO NOT PROCEED WITH THE REMAINDER OF THE APPLICATION.
3. Is there any reason that you are aware of that you would not be able to travel, either domestically or internationally, to attend this program in full, in the time period indicated i.e. Sunday 11th through Saturday 16th September 2017 ? *This question is required.
4. If I am selected to participate as a mentee in this Global Ambassadors Program, I give my consent to Vital Voices to conduct a routine background check and I understand that it may contain information about my employment and educational background, character and personal reputation.   *This question is required.
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