MOUNTAINTOP EMERGING LEADERS FELLOWSHIP
For the world’s most promising emerging leaders
The Mountaintop Emerging Leaders Fellowship is a one-year program for the world’s most promising emerging leaders who are committed to driving systems change in lower-income communities around the world.
Now in its third year, the fellowship offers high-potential local leaders the chance to step into intensive leadership development while advancing projects deeply rooted in their home communities. It is fully funded, allowing Fellows to focus entirely on their leadership journey and their impact.
FELLOWS RECEIVE
- A fully funded, two-week Leadership Institute in Nairobi, Kenya.
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Personalized mentorship and coaching.
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Access to competitive grant opportunities.
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A lifelong global network of peers and partners.
Together, these experiences accelerate the Fellow’s capacity to create large-scale lasting impact at home and beyond.
WHAT FELLOWS DO
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Each Fellow commits to a full-time project during the fellowship year. Projects are grounded in the Fellow’s home community and may take diverse forms:
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Building or scaling a social enterprise.
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Advocating for policy reform.
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Leading within a government agency, NGO, or social venture.
Fellows may expand an existing initiative or launch something entirely new. The central requirement is a deep, ongoing commitment to solutions that matter locally.
WHO WE SUPPORT
Mountaintop selects Fellows working in lower-income communities across the world. The fellowship does not support individuals running for political office or those purely pursuing academic research.
WHAT WE LOOK FOR
We seek individuals with the highest potential to become transformational leaders for their communities and countries.
Eligibility Requirements
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Committed to serving their home country, community, or province over the long term.
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Able to work full-time (40 hours per week) on their fellowship project, plus five hours per month for mentorship, speaker events, and peer learning.
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Available to attend a two-week in-person Leadership Institute in Nairobi, Kenya. All costs are fully covered, including flights, lodging, meals, ground transportation, and visa fees.
Transformational Leadership Potential
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A track record of impactful leadership, public service, or social entrepreneurship.
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Innovative, collaborative, systems-oriented, and ambitious.
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Early in their professional journey, with clear evidence that the fellowship will accelerate their growth and strengthen their long-term commitment to their community.
Values Alignment
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Universal Compassion: Empathizing with the suffering of others, regardless of who they are.
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Unconditional Love: Loving others unconditionally, even those we deeply disagree with.
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Visionary Wisdom: Making imaginative, effective, evidence-based, and historically informed decisions and striving to understand diverse perspectives.
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Long-Term Dedication: Committing over the course of a career or lifetime to a particular community or cause.
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Selfless Courage: Acting for the greater good even in the face of uncertainty, complacency, inconvenience, risk, or danger.
THE FELLOWSHIP EXPERIENCE
Leadership Institute (Nairobi, Kenya): A fully funded, two-week immersive program designed to build leadership capacity, provide exposure to global faculty and practitioners, and foster deep peer connection. See a sample curriculum and speaker list from our recent Leadership Institute for emerging leaders.
Mentorship and Coaching: Each Fellow is paired with mentors who bring practical guidance and insight. Fellows also receive personalized coaching to strengthen their leadership journey.
Grant Opportunities: Fellows gain access to competitive grants to accelerate their projects and initiatives.
Peer Learning and Global Network: Fellows participate in monthly virtual events and peer learning sessions. Upon completion, they join a lifelong community of leaders across 175 countries.
WHY APPLY
The Mountaintop Emerging Leaders Fellowship is a fully funded opportunity to dedicate one year to leadership growth while building impact in your own community.
It is an invitation to invest deeply in your capacity, to accelerate your project or initiative, and to join a global community of peers equally committed to serving people and shaping systems.
If you are ready to take the next step in your leadership journey, we invite you to apply.
2026 FELLOWSHIP APPLICATION TIMELINE
The updated application timeline for the 2026 cohort will be released in December 2025. The application process will open in January 2026.
Seats are highly competitive. Each cohort is intentionally small to ensure access, depth, and meaningful peer relationships.