Kyle
The Tribe 12 fellowship, a business accelerator focusing on ideas that relate to the Jewish community, is looking for it’s next class.
The fellowship is part of the Tribe 12 network which is a network of projects “that, as a whole, offer a holistic approach to engaging individuals in choosing a personally inspiring Jewish community, network, or life-style, with a particular focus on 20s and 30s. ”
The Tribe 12 Fellowship functions as a startup and business accelerator giving startups, and entrepreneurs access to mentors, seminars, grants and funding opportunities. While there is no seed fund in place for the startups selected for the class, the six month program ends with a pitch fest.
Many members of the Philly Startup Leaders, list serv were up in arms today when Danielle Selber, the Tribe 12 Fellowship coordinator, posted an application link. Many folks felt like an accelerator put on by a Jewish organization to strengthen the Jewish community was segmenting. Of course, I did not. Eventually many more seasoned members of the PSL spoke out in defense of the Tribe 12 Fellowship. The best comment being from Jerry Levine who said: Perhaps this is being a dead horse, but PSL is, by definition, a limited group – focused on Philadelphia (and Philadelphia-area). If it weren’t, perhaps it would just be called “Startup Leaders?”
Regardless of the PSL’s feelings about Tribe 12 it’s a great program and resource to entrepreneurs with a Jewish element in their startup or business. Most of the graduates from the 2010 and 2011 program have socially driven startups that are out to help the community at large.
Selber took a break between high horse ego beatings, on the PSL, to respond to a couple questions from nibletz, you know the info you’re dying to know.