Applications are open through Monday, December 8th at 11:59PM PT!

UPLIFT
UpLift by UpStart is for visionaries, leaders, and entrepreneurs navigating the early stages of their ventures and who are ready to take their ventures to the next level.

About UpStart’s UpLift Program

  • UpLift is a three-month virtual sprint designed for entrepreneurs in the early stages of building their ventures.
  • Infused with Jewish wisdom, UpLift combines a virtual interactive atmosphere with self-paced learning modules. The curriculum fosters growth in a radically human-centered environment utilizing Learning Pods, Critical Colleagues feedback sessions, and live virtual gatherings.
  • All UpLift ventures will join the UpStarter Network, a community of entrepreneurial ventures that have participated in an UpStart entrepreneurial program. Spanning various stages of development and focusing on diverse areas of Jewish life, members of the UpStarter Network work to transform Jewish life, making it more just, vibrant, and inclusive. The UpStart Team provides a robust suite of offerings—including gatherings, resources, and grants—to meet UpStarters where they are and help them achieve their goals.
  • Participants who successfully finish the program will redefine the future of their early-stage venture and earn a certificate of completion, and those who receive their certificate are eligible to apply for a $3,000 general operating grant to advance their venture.
     

     

    Note: Not all applicants will receive the grant. UpStart will prioritize ventures that primarily serve historically underrepresented groups. “Underrepresented” includes: Jews of Color, Mizrahi Jews, Sephardi Jews, BIPOC individuals, LGBTQ+ folks, people with disabilities, and/or small-mid sized Jewish communities.

     

    Learn more about UpStart’s commitment to diversity and inclusion.

Is UpLift right for your venture?

Join our info session Wednesday, November 19 at 3:00PM ET

What will venture leaders learn and do?

  • Identify the exact areas of venture development needed, understand and lean into what it means to be a social entrepreneur, and document and refine your business model (what you do, who you serve, how you fund it, and how you know it works); explore your ecosystem and learn best practices for building relationships; think through the early stages of impact measurement, and reinforce/practice the foundations needed for effective fundraising.
  • Work through three units, including:
    • Unit 1: Foundations of Social Entrepreneurship
    • Unit 2: People and Purpose
    • Unit 3: Impact and Investment 
  • Have access to:
    • Tools including a social impact canvas, an ecosystem map, budget templates, an audience discovery workbook, a setting workbook, and an impact model worksheet.
    • Subject matter experts (via access to our Network) who can provide specific and tailored support on various business needs/topics via optional Content Specialist Drop-In sessions.
    • A community of early-stage peers via the UpStart Platform.

UpLift is powered by
 real-time participation.

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UpLift is designed using a flipped classroom model.

Instead of logging on to listen to a presenter, you’ll first learn independently from the self-paced modules. Then attend cohort gatherings ready to dive into conversation, apply concepts to your specific venture, and get live feedback from peers and facilitators.

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• Orientation & Kickoff


Launch your UpLift journey by meeting your cohort, connecting with your small-group Learning Pod, and setting shared commitments. You’ll begin to explore what it means to be a Jewish social entrepreneur and walk away with clarity on how the program works and how to get the most from it.

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• Unit 1 Gathering: Foundations of Social Venture Leadership

Reflect on the first unit of learning and deepen your understanding of 
what it takes to lead a successful social impact venture. You’ll test key assumptions, explore venture structures, and begin using the Social
Impact Canvas to map the core components of your work.

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• Unit 2 Gathering: Articulating and Providing Value
Dive into what drives your work—your mission, vision, and the communities you serve. Through interactive discussions and peer dialogue, you’ll sharpen your focus, test new ideas, and explore strategies for making your venture’s purpose more powerful and clear.

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• Unit 3 Gathering: Building a Business Plan / Graduation
Celebrate your progress while sharpening your use of revenue and impact models to sustain and grow your venture. You’ll reflect on highlights from across the program, share what you’ve built, and discover how to carry your learning forward as a member of the UpStarter Network.

Participation Details

  • This is an entirely virtual program with both synchronous and asynchronous components. 
  • Approximately 30 total hours of solo, cohort, and peer learning over the three months of the program (6-9 hours per month).  
  • Asynchronous learning: 
    • An average of 4 - 6 hours/month working individually.
    • We will provide guardrails for when asynchronous learning components need to be completed, but we encourage you to find a rhythm that suits you best, whether it's breaking learning down into smaller daily sessions, spreading it over a few days a week, or dedicating longer periods when it fits your schedule - plan for the rhythm that best fits your needs.
  • Synchronous learning: 
    • An average of 2 - 3 hours/month working with your cohort through full-cohort virtual gatherings and small group learning pods.
    • Full-Cohort Gatherings: 
      • There are four virtual full-cohort calls (see chart below)
      • Please double-check your availability for these virtual meetings as they are MANDATORY for participation in this program. If you are unavailable for these dates, consider applying for a later cohort.
    • Critical Colleagues: Small groups of ventures meet to present a challenge and receive peer feedback. 

 

The dates below are for required full-cohort gatherings. Details on small group meetings and asynchronous learning can be found in the ‘what is the time commitment’ section above.

2026 Cohort:

  • Program Start: Asynchronous Orientation- Materials Available: Thursday, January 22, 2026

  • Opening Orientation: Thursday, February 5 | 12:00-1:30 PM ET

  • Virtual Gathering #1: Thursday, February 19 | 12:00-1:30 PM ET

  • Virtual Gathering #2: Thursday, March 19 | 12:00-1:30 PM ET

  • Virtual Gathering #3 & Closing: Thursday, April 23 | 12:00-1:30 PM ET‌

Los Angeles Cohort:

  • Program Start: Asynchronous Orientation- Materials Available: Thursday, January 22, 2026

  • Virtual Opening Orientation: Wednesday, February 4 from 11 AM-12:30 PM PT

  • In-Person Unit 1 Gathering: Monday, March 9, from 10 AM-2 PM PT

  • Virtual Unit 2 Gathering: Wednesday, April 15 from 11 AM-12:30 PM PT

  • In-Person Unit 3 Gathering: Monday, April 27, from 10 AM-2 PM PT

  • Virtual Closing & Graduation: Wednesday, May 13 from 11 AM-12:30 PM PT

  • Access to a computer or tablet with a camera and a reliable internet connection.
  • Ability to navigate the Google suite of tools (Google Docs, Slides, Spreadsheets), and UpStart's online learning platform.
  • UpStart can support accessibility needs and provide training on navigating the tools and learning platform to support participation in the program. Accommodation requests can be sent to accessibility@upstartlab.org.

The content is structured for individual venture leaders to participate. If your venture has a co-leadership model, we welcome both parties to participate.

If you begin the program content and cannot finish due to unexpected reasons, then you’ll work with UpStart staff to determine the best next steps on a case-by-case basis.

Access to all materials will be available for 9 months.

Each venture will be charged a program fee based on its organizational budget upon cohort admission. 

  • Venture Budget <$100K:  $80 program fee
  • Venture Budget $100K–$200K: $180 program fee
  • Venture Budget $200K–$500K: $280 program fee
  • Venture Budget $500K+: $500 program fee

Eligibility and Selection

View the application preview!

Applications should reflect your entire venture, not just a single program or offering. UpLift is designed for venture leaders to examine how their overall venture is meeting the needs of their community.

Applications for Cohort 2026 and Cohort Los Angeles are due Monday, December 8th at 11:59PM PT

All venture leaders will be notified by December 23rd regarding the status of their program application.

  • Social ventures with leadership that have a growth mindset, curiosity, passion, and determination are eligible.
  • The venture has run at least one cycle of programming/offering.
  • Venture leader displays professional readiness by having at least six months of experience with their current venture and at least once a year since the venture was founded.
  • Ventures must meet UpStart’s criteria for being an early-stage venture, review the readiness criteria here.
  • Ventures must contribute to a Thriving Jewish Community.
  • Ventures must serve a North American population.

No, UpLift is specifically designed for entrepreneurs who are building or launching ventures. While intrapreneurs often face similar challenges within organizations, our content, tools, and community are tailored to the unique needs and decision-making dynamics of independent founders.

If you were not advanced due to your venture stage, and your venture is currently early-stage, this may be a really good fit for you! 

  • If you’re a member of the UpStarter Network because you’ve completed a growth stage program, then UpLift is not the right fit.
  • If you are an early-stage venture, you are eligible to apply! 
  • Please note that current UpStarter Network members are not eligible for the early-stage grant.

UpLift is unique from other early-stage programming UpStart has offered in the past.  If you feel like you’re still early-stage and will benefit – apply to join us!

  • We care more about the impact you seek to make in the world than your tax status. 501c3, LLC, B-corporation, fiscally sponsored…all are welcome. 
  • If your business model contributes to a thriving Jewish community or if you have a business model that will generate more revenue for Jewish life, you should consider applying. For example:
    • You are a company that manufactures Matzo. The product alone does not impact Jewish life. However, if something about how you produce it or your financial model specifically contributes to a thriving Jewish community, we welcome you to apply! 
    • You are a publishing company focusing on publishing underrepresented voices, with a line focusing on BIPOC and LGBTQIA authors. If you are interested in building out a line that focuses on Jewish authors, you are welcome to apply!

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