The Williams Fellowship Experience
Mount Royal University’s Next Generation of Founders
Two years to see how far you can take it.
Every Williams Fellow enters at a different stage. Some are exploring an opportunity, some are testing ideas, some are already building a business.
The fellowship meets fellows where they are and surrounds their work with individualized coaching, ambitious peers, funding, and a growing network on mentors, founders, and industry leaders.
The Williams Fellowship is designed for MRU students who:
Are ambitious, self-directed and ready to take action
Have identified a venture, project, opportunity or problem they want to pursue
Want to build something beyond the classroom
Value coaching, accountability and constructive feedback
Want to be surrounded by other ambitious students
Are prepared to commit to a two-year experience
Applicants do not need to be business students or have previous entrepreneurship experience.
Existing founders and side hustlers are encouraged to apply, as are students who are earlier in their journey but can demonstrate strong initiative and commitment to an opportunity they want to pursue.
Who should apply?
How the Fellowship works
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Each fellow begins by working with their Institute coach to identify two to four meaningful goals connected to their venture, opportunity or area of work.
These goals create direction without locking fellows into a predetermined path. As new evidence, opportunities and challenges emerge, the roadmap can evolve.
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Bi-weekly coaching provides accountability, challenges assumptions, helps navigate roadblocks and connects fellows to the right resources at the right time.
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The cohort meets monthly to share progress, tackle challenges and push one another forward. Each fellow is also matched with a peer accountability partner.
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Fellows are expected to pursue founder conversations, workshops, conferences, company visits and other opportunities in Calgary’s entrepreneurial ecosystem.
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As fellows gain clarity around their work, the Institute helps connect them with mentors, founders and industry experts who can offer specialized guidance, challenge assumptions and expand their networks.
Over time, these relationships are intended to grow into a trusted personal advisory network that extends beyond the fellowship itself.
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Fellows contribute to the fellowship, the Institute and the broader entrepreneurial ecosystem.
Contributions may include sharing knowledge, mentoring others, convening people, building useful resources, supporting Institute initiatives or strengthening a community connected to their work.
Program Information
Program Details
Cohort Sessions: The first Thursday of the month
4 - 6 PM
Coaching and Mentor Session Times are scheduled to accommodate everyone’s schedules.
Time Commitment:
4 - 6 hours commitment per week
Bi-weekly coaching
Monthly cohort sessions
Ongoing independent work
Events in the community
Summer: Lighter programming, continued coaching
Key Dates
Applications open: August 2026
Applications close: October 18th, 2026 @ midnight
Interviews: October 19th - 22nd
Start Date: November 12th
Applications for the 2027/28 cohort will open in November 2026.
The Williams Fellowship is a two-year program. Continued participation into year two is based on a fellow's overall engagement, progress and contribution to the fellowship community. All fellows participate in a year-end review to reflect on their progress and confirm their continuation into the second year.
Get in touch
Sydney Harder
Innovation and Entrepreneurship Strategist
Sydney holds a Bachelor of Business Administration with minors in Social Innovation and Innovation and Entrepreneurship. At the Institute, Sydney designs and delivers programs that help student entrepreneurs develop their ideas, strengthen their businesses and navigate the challenges of building a venture. Through founder-focused programming, mentorship and one-on-one coaching, she supports students at every stage, from exploring an emerging idea to growing a business already making sales. Before joining the Institute, Sydney founded a sustainable arts company and worked in program development at IncluCity Calgary, a local user experience startup.
Contact Sydney at sharder@mtroyal.ca if you have any questions or need support applying.
Frequently Asked Questions
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LaunchPad student programs are available to a full-time or part-time student registered at Mount Royal University. This program requires students to have two years left in their university degree, and that they remain in good academic standing throughout any participation in our programs.
The Williams Fellowship might be for you if you…
Have a business already in motion
Have an idea you’re ready to put to the test
See an opportunity worth pursuing
Have a passion for an industry, but aren’t sure what exactly your idea is yet
Are obsessed with a problem and want to solve it in a new way
Want accountability and constructive feedback
Are willing to commit for two years
Applicants do not need a registered business, revenue, a polished pitch, previous LaunchPad experience, or a fully developed solution. What matters is having an identified area of interest that you intend to pursue, and the agency to pursue it.
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No. Fellows do not need a registered company, established revenue or a finished product.
Applicants should, however, have something they are prepared to actively pursue. This could be a business, project, opportunity or meaningful problem they want to explore.
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No. The Williams Fellowship is open to eligible MRU students from across campus.
Strong founders come from every discipline, and the fellowship is designed to bring together students with different skills, interests and perspectives.
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Fellows meet with their Institute coach approximately every two weeks and participate in one cohort session per month during the academic year.
Beyond scheduled programming, fellows are expected to consistently work toward the individualized goals established in their Fellowship Roadmap. As most founders can attest to, time commitments will vary. However, every fellow can expect at least 4-6 hours of work on their chosen venture or area of exploration.
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The fellowship continues through the summer with a lighter structure to accommodate work, internships, travel and other commitments.
Fellows can expect approximately one coaching meeting and one cohort touchpoint per month.
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Fellows begin with an assigned Institute coach.
As their direction becomes clearer, the Institute will help connect them with relevant founders, mentors and industry experts. These relationships are intended to grow into a personal advisory network tailored to each fellow’s work.
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Fellows participate in formal progress reviews throughout the year.
The April review considers participation, initiative, meaningful action, progress toward individualized goals, responsiveness to feedback and contribution to the fellowship community.
Renewal is based on overall engagement and progress, not simply whether every original goal was achieved.
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High-agency students do not wait for perfect instructions or ideal circumstances before taking action.
They are curious, resourceful, willing to ask for help and prepared to take ownership of moving their work forward.