StartingBloc Fellowship FAQs
Below are some FAQs, but to get a better picture of our community, check out information on Our Approach, the Fellowship, and the Institute.
Have you already been accepted? Check out the Accepted Fellows FAQs page.
StartingBloc Fellowship FAQs
Below are some FAQs, but to get a better picture of our community, check out information on Our Approach, the Fellowship, and the Institute.
Have you already been accepted? Check out the Accepted Fellows FAQs page.
Our organization and approach
Other organizations focus on incubating ideas or projects. At StartingBloc, we focus on incubating the individual as part of a larger community. No matter what your goal is, be it changing careers, launching a startup, or jumping into a director level role at a Fortune500 – we’ll help you get there. When you decide you want to quit the startup and start working in government, weʼll help you get there. StartingBloc Fellows are Fellows for life, regardless of what they’re working on.
Read more about who we are and our approach.
We’ll tell you what our Fellows tell us:
- 76% of Fellows report greater clarity of purpose, passion & goals after attending an Institute.
- 84% agree that StartingBloc enhanced the social or environmental impact of their work.
- 21% of Fellows were promoted or took on a leadership role after attending StartingBloc.
- 80% report that StartingBloc contributed significantly to their professional growth.
If you’re ready to invest generously in yourself and in community (time, energy, resources), the StartingBloc Fellowship will meet you in your efforts!
Read stories from our Fellows.
StartingBloc fundamentally believes that people already have the capacity, the compassion and the wherewithal to begin to operate within different paradigms of being, working, and creating together.
Our theory of change posits that shared experience and community provide a basis for belonging, and that people are able to accelerate their own development (personal and professional) faster when they feel that they belong. That’s why all of our Fellows share the experience of a StartingBloc Institute, and fundamentally why we believe that they are able to grow and develop alongside and with one another. More than 50% of our Fellows report better mental and physical health as a result of StartingBloc, leading to promotions and greater leadership roles as well as some of them starting their own ventures.
StartingBloc is a non-partisan organization. We are, at our core, opposed to discrimination based on any identity category. We uplift the values of radical inclusion, shared power and love.
Hands down, our community – our Fellows. We ask our Fellows every year, and they always give the same answer.
We hear stories of new best friends, roommates, co-founders, and mentors. As a Fellow you have access to a network of 3,100+ Fellows across the world and this community will host you when you travel to a new city, offer valuable career advice, and celebrate your greatest successes with you. They’ll also provide you with gentle accountability and encourage you to remain audacious in your goals.
- Invest in our Fellows by hiring them and supporting their causes.
- Donate: Give monthly to grow the inclusivity of the Fellowship and the power of our programming.
- Partner or Sponsor: StartingBloc Partners and Sponsors help us market to the right audiences, create personal and professional development pathways for our Fellows, and fund our events. Learn more about becoming a Partner or Sponsor.
- Volunteer: If you have at least 10 hours per month, you could volunteer your time. Fill out our volunteer interest form.
Applications
Applying for the Fellowship begins by filling out the online application form. It takes about 30 minutes to complete. The application cost is USD $40. This fee is used to pay for the time to review and accept incoming applicants.
Applications are accepted on a rolling basis, but each Institute has a priority deadline. Applying by the Priority Deadline gives you access to our preferred lodging and childcare lists, as well as greater access to pre-Institute conversations with other accepted Fellows.
Learn more about the application process and the priority deadline dates for each Institute.
Applications are judged on clarity of intent, capacity to articulate values and leadership ethos, and demonstrated commitment to making social change happen.
Our Fellowship community is:
- Full of professionals: Entrepreneurs, intrapreneurs, mid-career pivoters, new grads, anyone who will work between sectors to make real change happen. 56% of Fellows are self-identified professionals working in the nonprofit, public, and private sectors.
- 65% people of color.
- 55% female or non-binary.
- All ages – we have folks from the age of 18-70 in the Fellowship.
- Change-makers + community-seekers: people committed to something bigger than themselves and who want to show up with and for others.
What’s the common thread among everyone? A deep commitment to a different vision for leadership, to authenticity, maturity, competence, and community.
You must be 18 or older to apply to StartingBloc.
Absolutely. The fact that a person has applied more than once certainly won’t hurt his/her chances of being accepted to the Fellowship. In fact, the Admissions Committee often looks favorably on the dedication of someone who applies again.
Fellowship costs + attendance
The fellowship tuition is USD $1,500. Fellows often receive funding and support from their employers or academic institutions to attend StartingBloc. Learn more about the costs, funding support, and scholarships. If needed, we provide payment plans for incoming Fellows, though you must be paid in full one week prior to the Institute’s start date.
Yes.
For US Visa information, please visit the USCIS website. Applicants requiring a visa are encouraged to apply as early as possible for a visa (and for the their Institute of choice) to allow time for visa preparations. Please note that visa processing times vary in different countries and you may be required to visit the U.S. consulate in your country. It’s the Fellows responsibility to arrange for a visa interview directly with the U.S. consulate in their home country, as well as check all visa application requirements. StartingBloc does not provide legal immigration advice, but can provide a visa support letter.
For South Africa visa information, please visit the SA Government website. Applicants requiring a visa are encouraged to apply as early as possible for a visa to allow time for visa preparations. It’s the Fellows responsibility to arrange for a visa interview directly with the South African consulate in their home country, as well as check all visa application requirements. StartingBloc does not provide legal immigration advice, but can provide a welcome letter.
We are able to refund everything but the $250 non-refundable deposit by this schedule:
- We will refund you in full up to 60 days before the Institute.
- We will refund you 50% up to 30 days before the Institute.
- With less than 30 days before the Institute, we are not able to offer a refund, except under the circumstance of a visa denial.
If you are deferred to a future Institute, your tuition is non-refundable.
StartingBloc does not allow Fellows to defer their Fellowship opportunity except due to extreme medical reasons, family loss or visa denials.
StartingBloc reserves the right to evaluate each deferral request on a case-by-case basis.
In the case of an emergency, acceptees may only qualify for one deferral if the $250 deposit has been paid. If it has not been paid, the applicant will have to re-apply to a future Institute and forfeit their scholarship (if applicable).
Our organization and approach
Other organizations focus on incubating ideas or projects. At StartingBloc, we focus on incubating the individual as part of a larger community. No matter what your goal is, be it changing careers, launching a startup, or jumping into a director level role at a Fortune500 – we’ll help you get there. When you decide you want to quit the startup and start working in government, weʼll help you get there. StartingBloc Fellows are Fellows for life, regardless of what they’re working on.
Read more about who we are and our approach.
We’ll tell you what our Fellows tell us:
- 76% of Fellows report greater clarity of purpose, passion & goals after attending an Institute.
- 84% agree that StartingBloc enhanced the social or environmental impact of their work.
- 21% of Fellows were promoted or took on a leadership role after attending StartingBloc.
- 80% report that StartingBloc contributed significantly to their professional growth.
If you’re ready to invest generously in yourself and in community (time, energy, resources), the StartingBloc Fellowship will meet you in your efforts!
Read stories from our Fellows.
StartingBloc fundamentally believes that people already have the capacity, the compassion and the wherewithal to begin to operate within different paradigms of being, working, and creating together.
Our theory of change posits that shared experience and community provide a basis for belonging, and that people are able to accelerate their own development (personal and professional) faster when they feel that they belong. That’s why all of our Fellows share the experience of a StartingBloc Institute, and fundamentally why we believe that they are able to grow and develop alongside and with one another. More than 50% of our Fellows report better mental and physical health as a result of StartingBloc, leading to promotions and greater leadership roles as well as some of them starting their own ventures.
StartingBloc is a non-partisan organization. We are, at our core, opposed to discrimination based on any identity category. We uplift the values of radical inclusion, shared power and love.
Hands down, our community – our Fellows. We ask our Fellows every year, and they always give the same answer.
We hear stories of new best friends, roommates, co-founders, and mentors. As a Fellow you have access to a network of 3,100+ Fellows across the world and this community will host you when you travel to a new city, offer valuable career advice, and celebrate your greatest successes with you. They’ll also provide you with gentle accountability and encourage you to remain audacious in your goals.
- Invest in our Fellows by hiring them and supporting their causes.
- Donate: Give monthly to grow the inclusivity of the Fellowship and the power of our programming.
- Partner or Sponsor: StartingBloc Partners and Sponsors help us market to the right audiences, create personal and professional development pathways for our Fellows, and fund our events. Learn more about becoming a Partner or Sponsor.
- Volunteer: If you have at least 10 hours per month, you could volunteer your time. Fill out our volunteer interest form.
Applications
Applying for the Fellowship begins by filling out the online application form. It takes about 30 minutes to complete. The application cost is USD $40. This fee is used to pay for the time to review and accept incoming applicants.
Applications are accepted on a rolling basis, but each Institute has a priority deadline. Applying by the Priority Deadline gives you access to our preferred lodging and childcare lists, as well as greater access to pre-Institute conversations with other accepted Fellows.
Learn more about the application process and the priority deadline dates for each Institute.
Applications are judged on clarity of intent, capacity to articulate values and leadership ethos, and demonstrated commitment to making social change happen.
Our Fellowship community is:
- Full of professionals: Entrepreneurs, intrapreneurs, mid-career pivoters, new grads, anyone who will work between sectors to make real change happen. 56% of Fellows are self-identified professionals working in the nonprofit, public, and private sectors.
- 65% people of color.
- 55% female or non-binary.
- All ages – we have folks from the age of 18-70 in the Fellowship.
- Change-makers + community-seekers: people committed to something bigger than themselves and who want to show up with and for others.
What’s the common thread among everyone? A deep commitment to a different vision for leadership, to authenticity, maturity, competence, and community.
You must be 18 or older to apply to StartingBloc.
Absolutely. The fact that a person has applied more than once certainly won’t hurt his/her chances of being accepted to the Fellowship. In fact, the Admissions Committee often looks favorably on the dedication of someone who applies again.
Fellowship costs + attendance
The fellowship tuition is USD $1,500. Fellows often receive funding and support from their employers or academic institutions to attend StartingBloc. Learn more about the costs, funding support, and scholarships. If needed, we provide payment plans for incoming Fellows, though you must be paid in full one week prior to the Institute’s start date.
Yes.
For US Visa information, please visit the USCIS website. Applicants requiring a visa are encouraged to apply as early as possible for a visa (and for the their Institute of choice) to allow time for visa preparations. Please note that visa processing times vary in different countries and you may be required to visit the U.S. consulate in your country. It’s the Fellows responsibility to arrange for a visa interview directly with the U.S. consulate in their home country, as well as check all visa application requirements. StartingBloc does not provide legal immigration advice, but can provide a visa support letter.
For South Africa visa information, please visit the SA Government website. Applicants requiring a visa are encouraged to apply as early as possible for a visa to allow time for visa preparations. It’s the Fellows responsibility to arrange for a visa interview directly with the South African consulate in their home country, as well as check all visa application requirements. StartingBloc does not provide legal immigration advice, but can provide a welcome letter.
We are able to refund everything but the $250 non-refundable deposit by this schedule:
- We will refund you in full up to 60 days before the Institute.
- We will refund you 50% up to 30 days before the Institute.
- With less than 30 days before the Institute, we are not able to offer a refund, except under the circumstance of a visa denial.
If you are deferred to a future Institute, your tuition is non-refundable.
StartingBloc does not allow Fellows to defer their Fellowship opportunity except due to extreme medical reasons, family loss or visa denials.
StartingBloc reserves the right to evaluate each deferral request on a case-by-case basis.
In the case of an emergency, acceptees may only qualify for one deferral if the $250 deposit has been paid. If it has not been paid, the applicant will have to re-apply to a future Institute and forfeit their scholarship (if applicable).