1776NY launches fellowship for women entrepreneurs

As 1776NY prepares to move into its new digs this fall, it’s launching a new program squarely focused on female founders.

The incubator has partnered with the Kate Spade Foundation to create the Women’s Entrepreneurship Lab. The announcement comes on the heels of its Women’s Demo Day in March, in which it observed International Women’s Day. The fellowship continues that trend of support with ongoing resources for selected applicants. It includes access to special programming, in addition to the classes and events current members participate in, as well as a reduced fee of $100 a month for space in 1776’s office.

Ten applicants will be chosen for the program, though it’s yet to be determined how many representatives will be chosen per company in the event that applicants have multiple female founders, campus manager Rianna Mallard told Technical.ly. (In other words, the competition might be quite stiff.) Applications are open now; the deadline to apply is July 31. The program will begin in November, at which point the incubator will have moved into its new space in the Brooklyn Navy Yard’s Building 77.

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So what types of applicants is 1776NY looking for? Per the application, the program is directed toward “female founders solving challenges that impact women and girls.”

In other words, there’s a pretty wide berth in terms of industry focus, though in keeping with 1776’s general focus, the selected companies will have some sort of tech component. But those working in fields that have a particularly marked gender imbalance or are deemed critical to the program’s overarching focus may have a leg up, Mallard said.

(By the way, men, don’t feel too left out. Applications are also open for 1776NY’s general membership program, whose next round will also begin in November.)