Acumen Fund is excited to announce that the application process for the 2010-2011 Class of Acumen Fund Fellows is now open!  (Full disclosure: I work at Acumen Fund and the organization is one of the NextBillion's Founding Sponsors.)

Detailed information about the program and application the process, as well as the bios of current and past fellows, can be found on our website. To apply, or to send more information to others you know who might be interested, please click here. Applications will be accepted online until 11:59pm EST on Thursday, November 5, 2009.

What does it take to be a Fellow? We are looking for dedicated individuals with the practical skills, the creativity, the empathy and the leadership potential to affect change by leveraging market-based solutions to create social impact. Acumen Fund Fellows are drawn from a pool of talented, passionate people from all geographies, sectors, backgrounds and ethnicities.

Since graduating its first class of Fellows in 2007, the Fellows Program has continued to grow and expand, using the experiences of each class to continue building a unique training curriculum specifically focused on leadership and social enterprise. Fellows Alumni have called the program a life-changing experience, and one that allowed them to build critical business skills and a better understanding of the challenges involved in serving low-income consumers around the world.

We are also excited to welcome our new Class of 2009-2010 Fellows to New York. Over the coming weeks the 2010 Fellows will be training and actively preparing to support Acumen Fund investments. The Fellows have committed to sharing their experiences both from New York and on the ground, so expect to see frequent posts from them here on the blog.

If you know exceptional individuals who should be part of our 2010-2011 class, we hope you will encourage them to apply. Please share this announcement throughout your networks so that we reach the strongest and most diverse candidate pool.