Levy Inspiration Grants and Treks
Inspiring the next generation of entrepreneurs
At Kellogg, we believe that one of the best ways to support student entrepreneurs is getting them into the world to investigate problems with their own eyes. In this spirit, we offer two experiential programs under one entrepreneurial umbrella: the Levy Inspiration Grant Program and Levy Inspiration Treks. Each funded by a generous gift from Larry and Carol Levy, these programs share a goal of moving beyond online and secondary research and allowing students to speak directly with experts, researchers, founders, and potential customers in the hopes that they'll be inspired to build a business and solve big, gnarly problems across the globe.
- With the Levy Inspiration Grant Program, you'll travel as an individual or pair with a topic and itinerary designed by you to achieve your goals in investigating a problem.
- On a Levy Inspiration Trek, you'll join a group of 10-12 fellow students on a short trek centered around a specific topic that is entirely designed and led by our esteemed Kellogg faculty, where you'll learn more about the topic and build rapport with classmates with a similar interest.
Learn more about each of these programs below.
Levy Inspiration Grant Program
The Levy Inspiration Grant Program provides up to $5,000 for students who want to be an entrepreneur to immerse themselves in on-the-ground, in-market research. Rather than studying a problem from afar, we want you to experience it firsthand. As the name implies, the core tenets of this program are inspiration, exploration, and immersion. What you immerse yourself in and where you do it is completely up to you. With a Levy Inspiration Grant, we want you to go see for yourself.
When students return from their perspective-altering trips, they share their knowledge with the Kellogg community and are asked to sit down with the Entrepreneurship at Kellogg team for an interview to reflect on their experiences, recounting impactful stories and takeaways from their adventure. These interviews are distilled down into episodes for the Levy Inspiration Grant Program podcast, allowing us to compile an ever-growing archive of student-driven knowledge.
Watch the program trailer
Levy Inspiration Treks
Ready to apply?
As you consider building your application, please know that we expect to see some level of entrepreneurial involvement during your time at Kellogg so far, such as classes, co-curriculars, clubs, or participation in other Northwestern entrepreneurial programs.
Application deadlines vary depending on your intended travel dates. If you are approved for an Inspiration Grant, your travel must take place within the current or next quarter from when you have applied and all travel must be completed by graduation.
In addition to the application form, students will also be asked to participate in a brief 20-minute interview during the application process.
Application Deadlines:
For the 2024-25 academic year, the application deadlines are as follows:
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For travel during November/December, the deadline to apply is September 30, interviews will take place by October 11, and decisions will be shared by October 16.
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For travel during March/Spring Break, the deadline to apply is January 5, interviews will take place by January 17, and decisions will be shared by January 22.
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For travel outside these parameters, the deadline to apply is 2 months prior to your anticipated travel start date.
For students who apply well in advance of the deadline, interviews are likely to be scheduled earlier and decisions communicated in advance of the dates specified here.
Before submitting an application, we recommend taking a thorough look through the Program Guide below to learn about the ins-and-outs of the program, including application tips, deliverables, and other important details.
Questions?
For any questions that aren't covered in our Program Guide, please reach out to entrepreneurship@kellogg.northwestern.edu to learn more.
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