Applicant Inquiries
Previous Fellows are able to participate in the program again. While they would not be required to complete all the Explore and Ignite learning materials, they would be required to submit all assignments (BMC, Design Thinking Workshop, and pitches).
There may be restrictions for seed funding for Fellows rejoining the program, if you have previously made it to the Launch Entrepreneurship phase. You will be required to submit all assignments and quiz materials, but will not be required to rewatch lectures that you have already completed.
No, the program welcomes applicants from any university across Africa. We have both Mastercard Foundation Scholar University's program participants and participants from other African universities. So, being an MCF student or not being an MCF student will not affect your participation in this program. We would like to encourage you to continue the program.
Yes, you are welcome to work with co-founders who are not part of the program. We highly encourage team formation, no matter whether new team members are part of the Jim Leech Program or not. You are welcome to share what you learn in the program with your team members. If you wish, you can also share your OnQ login information with your team.
Applicants accepted into the program will gain free access to comprehensive course content, seasoned program coaches, and the opportunity to earn badges and other microcredentials at each phase of their journey.
Successful participants who reach the the third phase of the program, launch entrepreneurship (which takes place from May-August) are awarded a $500 stipend to use towards their venture, qualify to compete for a spot in the final pitch competition, and are awarded a certificate to recognize their dedication and accomplishments in the program.
The program is in English. Fellows from french-Speaking countries are matched with our bilingual coach for mentorship. All assignments must be submitted in English. We are also able to provide transcripts and presentation content to Fellows which can then be translated into a different language.
The results of successful applicants are announced in late December for the next-cohort of Fellows starting January.
The awards are non-equity, meaning we do not seek ownership or a share of your business. Our commitment is to support and empower your endeavors without any financial stake in your venture.
No, you don't need to justify your spending for the $500 CAD awarded to all Fellows in the Launch Phase. This seed fund is provided to support fellows in achieving significant milestones in their ventures. It is designed to empower you to progress and develop your venture without the need for meticulous reporting. We encourage you to utilize this fund to its fullest potential in advancing your entrepreneurial journey.
We have both Mastercard Scholar University's program participants and participants from other African Universities as well. So, being an MCF student or not being a MCF student will not affect your participation in this program. Thus, I would like to encourage you to continue the program. Do not worry about this issue again.
Previous Fellows are able to participate in the program again. While they would not be required to complete all the Explore and Ignite learning materials, they would be required to submit all assignments (BMC, Design Thinking Workshop, and pitches).
NetID Activation
If you have previously activated your account because you were already part of the JL MCF program, you will need to go through a separate account activation process.
All returning students must complete a Self Service Password Rese
Please visit and click on Forgot Password. Once you reset your password, you will regain access to your account.
We provided you with a birthdate that is not your actual birthdate, it is only used for NetID activation. We did not collect this information to maintain your privacy. Please input the date of birth we provided you with when you are activating your NetID, not your actual date of birth.
A recovery email is just another email of yours that you can access.
Please make sure you are typing your email and not copy pasting it.
Make sure there are no extra spaces or typos.
To access OnQ:
-
Go to the , check the top right side of your screen. You will see a link with a blue background written:鈥 Search and Sign In that will turn red once your mouse is over it. Click on it. Select onQ.鈥
-
路 To log in, use your queen's NetID as your username converted into your Queen's email like this: YourQueensNetID@queensu.ca
-
路 Example: if your NetID is JD1, your Queen鈥檚 email and username to log in will be JD1@queensu.ca
Please follow the instructions below:
-
Use your queen's ID converted into Queen's email like this: YourQueensNetID@queensu.ca and the password you just created for your NetID.
-
Example: if your NetID is js1 your Queen鈥檚 email will be js1@queensu.ca
-
DO NOT USE YOUR EMAIL ALIAS (for example, john.smith@queensu.ca)
-
After you complete this process, every time you are on the 成人大片 website, check the top right side of your screen. You will see a link with a blue background written:鈥 Search and Sign In.
-
Click on it
-
Choose Outlook on the web-email
-
You will be ready to log in your email
-
Do this any time you want to check your email.
-
We will communicate with you through this email throughout this program.
If you are unable to login, please reach out to jimleechfellowship@queensu.ca. If the issue is still not resolved, please reach out to IT Services at Queen鈥檚 University.
You can contact them via this website: /its/contact-us
The IT Support Centre can be reached by phone at 613-533-6666 and via the .
Online Service Portal:
Students have the option to call or email the IT Service department and in either case, they will respond within 24 hours (on business days).
You can contact IT Services via this website: /its/contact-us
The IT Support Centre can be reached by phone at 613-533-6666 and via the .
Online Service Portal:
Students have the option to call or email the IT Service department and in either case, they will respond within 24 hours (on business days).
Onboarding
If you鈥檝e forgotten your password or have been locked out of your account, please follow the directions below to recover your account:
Still Having Trouble?
Please contact the IT Support Centre by submitting a with a description of your issue, or by phone at 613.533.6666 during regular business hours.
Submit a Get IT Help Ticket by visiting the IT Services homepage at https://queensu.ca/its and reference that they are in the Jim Leach Mastercard Foundation Program or the name you reference in your correspondence, and the Help Desk can assist them.
Please visit this website to access the OnQ Course and learning materials:
Use your student NetID and password that you created and the course will be under My Courses > All > Explore Entrepreneurship Training Program
Please don鈥檛 hesitate to reach out if you have any other questions or concerns.
If you are unable to login, please reach out to jimleechfellowship@queensu.ca. If the issue is still not resolved, please reach out to IT Services at Queen鈥檚 University.
You can contact them via this website: /its/contact-us
The IT Support Centre can be reached by phone at 613-533-6666 and via the .
Online Service Portal:
Students have the option to call or email the IT Service department and in either case, they will respond within 24 hours (on business days).
You can contact IT Services via this website: /its/contact-us
The IT Support Centre can be reached by phone at 613-533-6666 and via the .
Online Service Portal:
Students have the option to call or email the IT Service department, and in either case, they will respond within 24 hours (on business days).
In order to access the following Modules, you must complete Module 1. For example, you must complete all the content in Module 1 before accessing Module 2, and so forth. Hopefully, this helps.
Explore Entrepreneurship
Yes, there are 5 items:
-
The mandatory DE Worksheets
-
The Modules Quizzes
-
The Design Thinking Workshop
-
The High Performance Teams Workshop
-
The Business Model Canvas
Currently, the program is offered in English and all materials are in English. Should they have specific questions, please let your PC know.
All the videos have English transcripts to help you understand the materials and translate as necessary.
We will also help group you with other French students so that you may share resources with one another.
All course dates and information can be found in the program timeline/outline is in the 鈥淥verview鈥 section of OnQ.
As far as internet is concerned, we cannot do anything about it, unfortunately. We suggest for the students to go to the nearest library, maybe school libraries. This may not be a possibility, but maybe talk to your relatives, show them that you have made it into the program and ask for more internet allowance for a period of two months. We encourage you to be creative and tap into opportunities available to you in your own environments.
In order to access the following Modules, you must complete Module 1. For example, you must complete all the content in Module 1 before accessing Module 2, and so forth. Hopefully, this helps.
The office hours are not a required component of the course, however, they are highly encouraged. They are an optional resource to help students learn, engage with the material and network with other participants.
While not mandatory, it will benefit participants.
If your idea changes, that鈥檚 usually a good sign that you have been listening to your potential users and have discovered some problems with your original idea! Congratulations on making it this far in the Design Thinking process! The process is iterative, so you should continue to test your assumptions and collect feedback on your new idea from users. Ultimately, you can pitch your new idea in 3-2-1鈥檚 to update the DDQIC team and community on your pivot.
Milestones have been applied to your Startup File in Accelerator App. The milestones are to serve as a guide for your venture progress. This guide was developed by the DDQIC team from eight years of experience running QICSI, years of experience teaching the Design Thinking methodology, and with inspiration from the Disciplined Entrepreneurship toolbox developed at MIT.
The milestones unlock certain funding and resource privileges through the three phases of the program. Once you complete the Explore phase, you can get access to more mentorship and the ability to pitch for seed funding. Ultimately, you will want to demonstrate in your 3-2-1s and pitches how you have completed the milestones in order to progress and unlock those resources.
Book a meeting slot via email or through WhatsApp. Coaches and mentors are always happy to meet and discuss your venture. They will generate a calendar invite for the coach and your full startup team. If you need to book a one-on-one meeting, contact your coach directly by email. When you book a meeting with your coach, it is helpful to provide questions or a bit of background in advance of the meeting, so your coach has an idea of what you鈥檇 like to cover.
No, participants are not assigned a mentor. You are welcome to reach out to all mentors to book a meeting. All mentor information, including contact methods, industry, country, and more, can be found on the course OnQ page.
Once you have met the submission and grade requirements to receive a badge, you will receive an email to access your digital badge.
If you have met the requirements but still do not see your badges, please visit the following webpage to receive your credentials:
https://v2.accounts.accredible.com/retrieve-credentials?app=recipient-portal&origin=https:%2F%2Fwww.credential.net
In 5 steps, save yourself the time spent adding and subtracting hours to get activities perfect time.
Step 1: Login to your OnQ account.
Step 2: Click on your image in the top right-hand corner (or the image icon if you didn't upload your picture).
Step 3: In the dropdown, click on Account Settings.
Step 4: Scroll down to 'Timezone.' Change the Continent to Africa (If you are in Africa), then select your appropriate time zone.
Step 5: Scroll down and click 'Save.'
Ignite Entrepreneurship
If your idea changes, that鈥檚 usually a good sign that you have been listening to your potential users and have discovered some problems with your original idea! Congratulations on making it this far in the Design Thinking process! The process is iterative, so you should continue to test your assumptions and collect feedback on your new idea from users. Ultimately, you can pitch your new idea in 3-2-1鈥檚 to update the DDQIC team and community on your pivot.
Launch Entrepreneurship
The 3-2-1s are intended to provide you the opportunity to grow comfortable pitching and improve how you pitch your venture in a compelling way. It also gives the DDQIC team a chance to see your progress and how we can help move the venture forward. You can also rely on your peers to crowd-source help and feedback on your ideas.
The typical format is 3 slides, 2 minute pitch, and 1 minute for Q&A from your peers and the DDQIC team.
The recommended format for a 3-2-1 is as follows:
1) Opening explanation of your venture or project (sometimes known as an elevator pitch). This should be clear and concise. A suggested format is as follows (referenced in Peter Gallant鈥檚 deck):
The ____________(your product or service name) is a___________(what it is) that__________(what is does). Unlike__________(the competition or existing solution) it_____________(the distinctive differentiator).
2) Updates on your team鈥檚 progress
3) Challenges your team is facing
We suggest sending a private message with your questions or comments if you have feedback for a team who鈥檚 pitching and we run out of time. You can also send them your e-mail and pick up the conversation separately with them.
If your idea changes, that鈥檚 usually a good sign that you have been listening to your potential users and have discovered some problems with your original idea! Congratulations on making it this far in the Design Thinking process! The process is iterative, so you should continue to test your assumptions and collect feedback on your new idea from users. Ultimately, you can pitch your new idea in 3-2-1鈥檚 to update the DDQIC team and community on your pivot.
DDQIC doesn鈥檛 have any rules for reaching out to people or organizations. It is up to you and your team to build your networks and connections that you will need to be successful.