Schmidt Futures co-founders Wendy and Eric Schmidt committed a full $1 billion to helping find the world’s next great entrepreneurs. Now in a partnership with Rhodes Trust and with the support of dozens of other global partners, they’ve launched and opened applications for their Rise global talent program. This platform seeks to find talented young people aged 15 to 17 who want to change the world and then provide them with the personal support to act on their goals.
“We are living in a time of both significant global challenges and unique global opportunities,” said Eric. “With the launch of Rise, we hope to identify and empower the next generation of brilliant leaders around the world in a way that has never been done before. We’ll harness the power of technology to find talented young people who would otherwise go undiscovered or unsupported, connect them in a global community, and give them the resources to use their talents for good throughout their lives.”
In the application process Rise will not focus on test or grade scores, but rather on potential. They value qualities like integrity, empathy, perseverance and brilliance in those who have the drive to make the world a better place. With application entry from the Hello World app and other low-tech options, Rise intends to reach every corner of the globe to truly ensure everyone has their chance.
Those interested in applying have until the January 29th, 2021 deadline. Over the next eight-month period, Rise will give applicants the opportunity to showcase their best qualities. Come Spring 2021, 500 finalists will have been virtually interviewed, and from that number 100 Rise Global Winners will be announced in July 2021.
Rhodes Trust, well known for its Rhodes Scholarships, is partnering with Schmidt Futures, to assist in the implementation of the initiative. With the joint effort of these two organizations, the goal is to create a lifelong network of exceptional talent—grown each year going forward through the selection of 100 new winners.
The selected winners will receive personal support for the rest of their lives, including financial support for attending universities, summits for leadership, career services once they’re in the workforce and access to funding to develop their ideas.
All applicants may tap into free online courses and access professional development from experts around the world. For example, Oscar-winning producer Brian Grazer will provide a learning module focused on curiosity conversations, while psychologist Dr. Angela Duckworth will give guidance to young people through their project.
The Rise global talent program joins other innovative approaches being offered by a range of organizations who are focusing on global challenges such as the Extreme Tech Challenge, the Girl Scouts and others.
Learn about another Schmidt Futures Partnership to address the wage challenge
