Alterna Impact Fellowship

What Alterna Impact Fellowship is

Alterna is a non-governmental organization founded in 2010 in Quetzaltenango (Xela), Guatemala, committed to developing the next generation of social entrepreneurs in Guatemala and the broader Central American region. The organization's work spans three mutually reinforcing areas: cultivating local social entrepreneurs, incubating social ventures, and fostering the social entrepreneurship ecosystem. Since its founding, Alterna has supported 180+ entrepreneurs across six Central American countries. The Alterna Impact Fellowship is a 4-to-6-month, full-time, unpaid immersive experience connecting professionals with social entrepreneurs and impact leaders in Latin America and the Caribbean. The program is designed for individuals seeking meaningful professional experience and personal growth through impactful work. Fellows participate in projects that generate concrete and sustainable results within the social impact ecosystem, working hands-on with the entrepreneurs and ventures that Alterna supports. Alterna also coordinates FLII (Foro Latinoamericano de Inversión de Impacto), the principal impact investing conference for Latin America, and fellows may have exposure to this network. The organization has attracted investment and support from major impact investing platforms and has been recognized as a model for locally-driven entrepreneurship development in emerging markets. The minimum fellowship duration of four months ensures a meaningful learning curve and proper integration into the work. Fellows contribute to real projects with measurable outcomes rather than observational rotations.