About

Black Girl Ventures’ Emerging Leaders Fellowship (ELF) 2.0 is a reimagined

12-week accelerator for revenue-generating founders ready to scale.

This program positions small businesses as a powerful engine for absorbing today’s talent while providing a transparent pipeline from capacity building to capital acquisition.

Through this program, founders can walk away with over $40,000 in total capital and support to transform from "solo-operators" into tech-savvy CEOs with the

infrastructure to hire.

The Capital: Direct Funding & Pitch Prizes

We combine leadership development and workforce strategy with capital activation.

Guaranteed Stipend: Each Fellow receives a $5,000 stipend.

Detroit Cohort Virtual Pitch Prizes:

Compete for local funding at the end of the 12 weeks:

1st Place: $15,000

2nd Place: $10,000

3rd Place: $5,000

Crowd Favorite: $2,500

Crowdfunding Revenue: You will execute a 7-day crowdfunding campaign on

the Raisify platform to secure additional market-validated capital.

The National Pitch Finale:

The top three winners from the Virtual Crowdfunding Pitch

advance to the national stage to compete for an additional prize pool:

1st Place: $15,000

2nd Place: $10,000

3rd Place: $5,000

Crowd Favorite: $2,500

The 12-Week Roadmap to Scale

Our curriculum focuses on AI integration and operational efficiency to free up human capacity for hiring.

Phase 1: Core Curriculum (Weeks 1-6):

Master OKRs, Market Strategy, and AI to automate manual tasks.

Phase 2: Activation & Visibility (Weeks 7-9):

Transition to competition with Pitch Training,

Pitch Practice, and a Recording Day for your 3-minute investor pitch.

Phase 3: Vtrial Competition, Crowdfunding & Audit (Weeks 10-12):

Complete Crowdfunding Training and launch your

7-day campaign alongside a Live Virtual Pitch Competition.

Important Dates

Applications Open: February 16, 2026

Applications Close: March 13, 2026

Program Kick-off: March 28, 2026

Sessions: Every Wednesday from 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM EST.

Format: All weekly sessions are virtual via Zoom

FAQs

If I apply for the program, am I automatically admitted?
Enrollment is limited. Submission of an application does not guarantee acceptance into the program. Information submitted will not be released for other purposes and cannot be returned to the applicant.

How many cohorts will there be?
In 2025, there will be 2 cohorts. Cohort 1 will be February-April. Cohort 2 will be July-September.

How many founders will be selected for the program?
7-10 founders selected for each cohort across 3 cities (Austin, Chicago, Los Angeles).

Do I have to be a resident of a specific city to apply to the fellowship?
Currently, this opportunity is only available to residents of the following cities: Austin, Chicago, Los Angeles - but we’re growing quickly and hope to offer opportunities in more cities in the new future!

I applied for the program, now what?

Stay tuned for more info. If you have questions email fellowship@blackgirlventures.org.