Eleven fellowships later: why I built OpenDoors
Our founder on what it really takes to find, qualify for and win global opportunities, from fellowships to scholarships, grants and accelerators, and how OpenDoors makes it simple.
I've won eleven fellowships and awards since 2009. I've also been turned down more times than I can remember, and that part never makes it onto a CV.
The ones I won, in order: the Chancellor's Leadership Award in 2009, LEAP Africa in 2010, Theirworld Global Ambassador in 2017, African Union Youth Fellow in 2018, the Mandela Washington Fellowship in 2019, the Steelcase Social Innovation Fellowship and the Atlas Corps Fellowship in 2022, and in 2023 the Savvy Fellowship, the Laconia Venture Fellowship, World University Service of Canada Ambassador and ONE Champion.
Each of those programmes changed something for me: a network, a skill, a door into a room I could not have entered alone. But for every one I won, there were applications that went nowhere, deadlines I found a day too late, and programmes I only discovered after a friend had already been selected. Behind every acceptance letter was a lot of quiet, unglamorous work. That work is why OpenDoors exists.
The hardest part is not the essay
People assume the difficult part of winning a global opportunity, whether a fellowship, scholarship, grant or accelerator place, is writing the application. It is hard, but it is not the first problem. The first problem is finding the right opportunity at all.
Fellowships, scholarships and grants are scattered across thousands of websites. Some are run by governments, some by universities, foundations, companies or multilateral bodies. They open at different times of year, use different language for the same things, and often bury the details that matter most: who is eligible, what is actually funded, and what you must submit. Many are announced quietly, through newsletters and WhatsApp groups that you only see if you already know the right people.
So you build a system. Mine was a messy spreadsheet, dozens of bookmarked pages, alerts on several sites, and a habit of asking everyone I met what they had applied for. It worked, slowly. It also meant spending hours every week just searching, before writing a single word.
The second problem: knowing whether you qualify
Even when you find a promising programme, the next question is whether you can apply. Eligibility rules are rarely simple. Age limits, nationality lists, years of experience, degree requirements, current-student rules, employer nominations. One line in the criteria can rule you out, and it is often the line you read last.
I have started applications and stopped halfway when I found a condition I could not meet. I have also nearly skipped programmes I was well suited to, because the wording made them sound out of reach. Both mistakes cost something: wasted evenings in one case, and a missed chance in the other.
The third problem: preparing an application that fits
Then comes the application itself. Every programme, from a fellowship to a scholarship, grant or accelerator, asks a slightly different question, sets a different word limit and looks for different things. A personal statement that worked for one programme rarely works for the next without serious rewriting. The best applications answer the exact question asked, follow the programme's own instructions to the letter, and connect the applicant's real experience to what that programme exists to do.
That last part is where most people struggle. Not because they lack the experience, but because it is hard to see your own story clearly, choose the right evidence, and say it in the space allowed. Add references to request, documents to gather and a CV to tailor, and one application can easily take weeks.
Helping others taught me what was missing
Over the years, friends and then friends of friends started asking me for help. Which scholarship, fellowship or programme should I go for? Am I eligible? Can you read my essay? I have now helped dozens of people with their applications.
The same patterns came up every time. Talented people missed opportunities because they never heard about them. Strong candidates ruled themselves out too early. Good applications fell short because they answered a slightly different question from the one asked, or ignored an instruction hidden on the programme's website. None of these problems were about ability. They were about information, time and guidance.
I could help a few people at a time. I wanted to help many more.
What OpenDoors does
OpenDoors brings everything I learned into one place, and makes it simple.
You add your CV once. OpenDoors reads your background and matches you to open fellowships, scholarships, grants and accelerators that fit it, instead of asking you to search through thousands of listings.
It tells you whether you qualify. Every requirement is checked against your profile and explained in plain words, so you know where you stand before you spend time on an application.
It shows you what each programme actually asks for. Before helping you write, OpenDoors reads the programme's official pages and sets out its instructions: the questions, the word limit, the format and the documents it needs.
It helps you write a strong application. OpenDoors Plus writes a first draft for the exact question in front of you, built from your experience and your public work, and marks anything it could not confirm so you can check it. It also tailors your CV for each programme and helps you prepare for interviews and reference requests. You stay in control of everything you submit.
It keeps you on time. Saved opportunities and applications are tracked, deadlines come with reminders, and one morning email brings together what matters that day.
Every listing links to its official source, and our team checks listings every day for closed deadlines and broken links. Finding, matching and tracking opportunities is free.
Why this matters
The fellowships I won did not just add lines to my CV. They introduced me to people and ideas that shaped my work, and they opened doors that stayed open. I want the same for everyone who applies.
Too many capable people never get that chance, simply because the system for finding and applying for global opportunities favours those who already know where to look. OpenDoors is my attempt to change that: to give anyone, anywhere, the same advantage I had to build slowly over fifteen years.
Whether your next step is a fellowship, a funded degree, a grant or an accelerator, start with your profile. Let OpenDoors do the searching, and spend your time where it counts: on applications that are good enough to win.