A promising business begins with a useful idea. Progress comes from understanding customers, making informed decisions and taking consistent action.
Fortune Entrepreneur helps you develop those capabilities through practical learning, mentoring and insight from operating businesses. You will work on your own venture, test your assumptions and build a realistic plan for what comes next.
Our initial focus is the United States, United Kingdom, Nigeria and Zimbabwe. We actively welcome interest from African and diaspora communities, alongside other eligible candidates with the capability and commitment to build businesses serving African and international markets.
Understand your customer. Learn how to investigate a problem, listen to potential customers and decide where your offer can be useful.
Shape a workable business. Develop your offer, pricing, delivery approach and cash plan, using practical exercises you can apply to your own venture.
Learn with experienced people. Discuss your decisions with mentors and explore how operating businesses solve everyday commercial problems.
Leave with a clear next step. Bring your learning together in a practical execution plan supported by evidence, priorities and realistic resource needs.
You may be exploring an idea, testing an offer or improving an early business. We are interested in your initiative, willingness to learn and understanding of the people you want to serve. A polished pitch or an established company is not the starting point for everyone.
The planned core journey covers customer discovery, business models, pricing, cash flow, marketing, operations, digital tools and responsible business practice. Each stage helps you make progress on your own venture.
NCDF Foundation leads Fortune Entrepreneur and is responsible for its purpose, participant experience and programme oversight. Learning specialists, mentors and approved business hosts contribute to a structured development journey focused on participants’ own ventures.
You retain ownership of your business and the ideas and materials you bring to the programme. Admission and completion do not require a share transfer, equity contribution or investment in an NCDF business.
Where separately funded commercial opportunities become available, participation is optional and subject to an appropriate paid agreement. Programme admission does not guarantee work, employment, investment, grants or income.
We are developing the first programme around four focus countries. Availability will be confirmed country by country. Choose your country of residence to see the current status and next step.
For entrepreneurs. Explore the programme and register your interest. When applications open in your country, review the criteria and submit your application.
For mentors. Share practical experience and help a participant examine decisions, test assumptions and move forward with confidence.
For organisations. Support learning, participant access, specialist sessions or local outreach through an agreed programme partnership.