SHI Venture Development Program

Applications open at the beginning of each fall and spring semester. Applications for the Fall 2024 semester will open on August 5th.

Participants engage within a community of practice with fellow innovators, mentors, and peers to share knowledge and support. Monthly sessions include workshops, skill-building activities, and feedback opportunities. Weekly check-ins with SHI fellows and monthly coaching calls with the managing director help navigate challenges and refine strategies. Teams also have access to expert Mentors in Residence and special grants designed to aid their venture’s development and sustainability, contingent upon meeting program milestones.

The time commitment for the SHI venture development programming is variable and will depend on team needs. We anticipate 1-3 hours a week.

Teams meet monthly during the academic semester to learn from global health innovators, build skills, and iterate on their ventures. Weekly peer mentoring check-ins are provided by SHI fellows, and teams have monthly coaching calls with the managing director as well as ad-hoc access to Mentors-in-Residence. The check-ins and coaching calls will be set at mutually agreed upon times. The community of practice gathering dates and times are below.

Friday, September 20, 2024 from 3-5 p.m EST via Zoom
Friday, October 4, 2024 from 3:00-5:00 p.m EST via Zoom
Friday, October 25th 3:00-5:00 p.m EST via Zoom
Friday, November 15 10 a.m-12:00 p.m EST via Zoom AND 3:00-5:00 p.m EST at Tsai CITY.

Current Yale students with innovative ideas to address global health challenges, particularly in emerging economies or for under-resourced groups, are encouraged to apply. Each team must include at least one current Yale student in a key role.

Yes!

For teams interested in SHI’s venture development program only, you can apply here.

For teams interested in general entrepreneurship and innovation programming with Tsai CITY in addition to SHI, you can apply here and opt-in to the SHI cohort.

Applicants are evaluated based on criteria such as alignment with UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and SHI's mission of achieving sustainable healthcare impact in emerging economies and/or under resourced groups.

The Tsai CITY Launch Pad and Accelerator program, which runs every fall and spring semester, guides students and teams with innovative ideas through the process of building effective organizations, projects, and ventures through workshops, mentorship, and funding. This extracurricular activity is expected to take 5-10 hours per week.

Every Friday, participants are expected to attend the Venture Dev Keynote and are allotted dedicated time to meet one-on-one with an early-stage startup expert. This is a great option if you are needing entrepreneurship support and could use a general framework. The SHI Venture Development Program (VDP) complements Tsai CITY's innovation programming by focusing specifically on global health innovation. SHI organizes monthly community gatherings featuring global health experts, skill sessions, and venture feedback opportunities. Teams meet monthly during the academic semester to learn from global health innovators, build skills, and iterate on their ventures. Weekly peer mentoring is provided by SHI fellows, and teams have monthly coaching calls with the managing director as well as ad-hoc access to Mentors-in-Residence. Additionally, teams in the SHI program have the opportunity to receive the Kalyanpur-Maheshwari grants to support their global health innovation work. To be eligible for these grants, teams must actively engage in SHI programming and meet specific milestones, including pitching their venture and demonstrating progress towards their goal. This is a great option if you have been through Tsai CITY’s programs already, have some experience with entrepreneurship, or are a student not on campus.

Please schedule office hours with Fatema Basrai, Managing Director of SHI, to learn more.