“Halcyon’s modeling the new intensive program after its own bread and butter: its 4-year-old incubator fellowship. It’s a way to use the Halcyon House space that’s otherwise empty in the summer months, according to Josh Mandell, Halcyon’s director of policy and international programs. That, and “the fact that demand is just so off the charts from startups and social enterprises from abroad to get access to this type of specialized program,” one that isn’t really available in a lot of countries, made it attractive for Halcyon to put into practice, he said.

The Halcyon team provides a similar structure to its five-month incubator, packed into a much shorter period. It encompasses strategic pairings with advisors, a pool that includes investors, CEOs, government officials, academics and other experts; a series on negotiating, relationship building and business planning; and training on pitching and storytelling.

“We really teach these startups how to have a short, coherent pitch for what it is their business is going to do — what problem are they trying to solve?” Mandell said.

The Korea Innovation Center in Vienna and both Taibah University in Medinah and theConsulate General of Saudi Arabia’s New York Office have been working with Halcyon. The Saudi cohort comprises all female entrepreneurs, as efforts in the Persian Gulf region to both improve rights for women and to scale up new businesses ramp up — which made this “the right timing” for the program, Mandell said. Halcyon plans to host up to three two-week cohorts every summer, and is already receiving interest for 2019.”