Entrepreneurs in Residence

Entrepreneurial mindset
EIRs are founders and employees at fast-scaling startups, subject-matter professionals, investors, and startup ecosystem-builders in their countries. They are experts in anything from marketing and branding to finance, tech, operations, co-working, fundraising, scaling, and much more. And are keen to pay forward and deep dive into exciting, emerging ecosystems.

20 hours a week experience-sharing and mentoring
We want EIRs to immerse themselves in an emerging startup ecosystem for at least one month. You will mentor ecosystem-builders and entrepreneurs by challenging long-held beliefs, sharing your expertise, delivering workshops and inspirational speeches, and offering strategic advice to help build a stronger, more viable startup scene.

You contribute time and experience, we cover expenses
Our EIRs make a difference in people’s lives. And EIRs have told us that this experience made a difference in their lives too, by stretching their minds, pushing them outside of their comfort zones, and experimenting with new ideas. We create space and time for EIRs to do all of this by providing:

• funding to cover a roundtrip airfare and accommodation for the entirety of your stay
• a workspace either in a co-working space or Swiss EP office
• an in-country support team to guide and befriend you and connect you with the local ecosystem

Successful EIRs share common attributes that extend beyond their deep subject-matter expertise:

• Collaborative approach: They coach and mentor, rather than instruct, in order to develop more self-sufficient ecosystems.
• Cultural awareness: They take the time to understand the culture of the country they’re working in and check their biases and expectations.
• Growth mindset: They embrace giving and seeking constructive feedback.
• Low ego: They believe they will get as much out of the EIR experience as they will give.