Big Bets Fellowships

The Big Bets Fellowship is a 4-month leadership program that brings together a diverse and interdisciplinary cohort of emerging leaders working to address the world’s toughest challenges, accelerate opportunity for the most vulnerable, and transform systems for a sustainable future.

We seek emerging leaders with 5-15 years of relevant work experience who are at an inflection point and ready to take their next bold step. The Fellowship helps propel individuals forward in manifesting a Big Bet.

In 2024, our Fellowship included leaders from Latin America and the Caribbean working in climate solutions. In 2025, we launched applications for two parallel cohorts: one focused on climate solutions in the Asia-Pacific Region and another on projects creating economic opportunity for underserved American workers and their families.

Applications are now closed, but you can still join our Big Bets Community to stay connected and learn about future opportunities, including the next Fellowship cycle.

The Fellowship emphasizes an expansive understanding of leadership, going beyond traditional skill-building to support fellows in growing personal and relational aspects of leadership.

As part of the program, fellows will benefit from:

• Integrative Curriculum – an experiential and applied learning program equipping fellows with the leadership mindset and skill sets needed for driving meaningful systemic impact
• Impact Acceleration – focused time with peers, mentors, and experts to sharpen, magnify, and accelerate solutions through virtual and in-person convenings
• Cohort Community – a regional group of progressive innovators, thinkers, and builders for interdisciplinary and cross-cultural exchange. Each fellow will also join a growing global network of leaders that have participated in past regional cohorts.
• Network Access – exclusive membership in The Rockefeller Foundation network (potential benefits include post-Fellowship programming, convenings, consultation, facilitated connections, speaking engagements at global events, etc.)
• Global Platform – visible amplification for fellows to share their voice and solution with a global audience

At the end of the program, fellows will have a clarified theory of change to accelerate novel solutions and the skills to operationalize and adapt to achieve that vision; skills to build and navigate unlikely partnerships necessary to make transformative change; and supercharged storytelling capabilities to bring partners and funders into powering the work.

*The Foundation will also provide fellows with a USD $5,000 stipend (subject to taxes and withholding, as may be applicable). Selection into the Fellowship does not include monetary grant support for the implementation of the fellow’s project.