Mentora Foundation
Mentora
Scholars
A Fully-Funded Fellowship to Build Exceptional Changemakers
Mentora Scholars is a fully-funded fellowship that prepares college students to become exemplary changemakers in their careers and communities. Inspired by history’s great leaders—from Lincoln and Mother Teresa to Gandhi—the program endeavors to identify, develop, and support the next generation of transformative leaders across sectors who uplift humanity, elevate character, and change people from within.
Rooted in the award-winning research and teachings of Dr. Hitendra Wadhwa, longtime Columbia Business School professor and author of “Inner Mastery, Outer Impact,” this fellowship brings together a selective cohort of students to clarify their values, build deep peer relationships, and join a lifelong network of leaders grounded in wisdom, purpose, and bringing positive change in the world.
Who This Is For
Who Should
Apply
We welcome applications from students who are:
- Highly invested in their own transformation, growing their connection with their inner core.
- Engaged in the healthy pursuit of excellence in a field of their choosing.
- Committed to bringing inner and outer transformation in the world.
- Ready to invest in a practice-based, whole-person growth journey.
Eligibility Requirements
- U.S. and Canadian undergraduates and those who completed their degree within the past year.
- If you are a graduating senior, please take note of your commencement date, as it may conflict with our in-person program. If this is the case, please reach out so we can discuss potential options.
Application &
Program Details
- Applications Open: Monday, September 14, 2026
- Early Priority Deadline: Sunday, November 8, 2026
- Final Deadline: Sunday, January 17, 2027
Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis. Apply early for priority consideration.
All participants receive a full scholarship from the Mentora Foundation covering program cost, room, and board. Scholars are responsible for travel to/from the program and incidental expenses.
The Experience
Selected Scholars complete a two-part leadership program.
February – April 2027
Virtual
The Core Curriculum
Reading, reflection, community-building
Note: Students who do not complete the Core Curriculum will not be invited to participate in the Residential Immersion.
May 17 – 28, 2027
IN-PERSON
The Residential Immersion
A 12-day cohort-based intensive focused on three core areas:
- Inner Mastery: Cultivating the five energies of Purpose, Wisdom, Growth, Love, and Self-Realization.
- Outer Impact: Deploying 25+ simple actions we can use to activate these energies in the moments that matter.
- Changemaking: Translating internal growth into meaningful external action.
Following the Residential Immersion, Scholars join a lifelong community with opportunities to serve as Mentora Ambassadors or apply for the advanced Mentora Fellows program.
Meet the Founder
Hitendra’s mission is to discover, codify, and teach the laws of success in life and leadership which form the foundation of our work at Mentora. With an MBA and Ph.D. from MIT’s Sloan School of Management and a lifelong study of the world’s mystic traditions, Hitendra brings a mathematician’s rigor and a truth-seeker’s spirit to some of today’s most vexing questions about authenticity, success, leadership, and human potential. He has codified these principles in his book, “Inner Mastery, Outer Impact: How Your Five Core Energies Hold the Key to Success”, published by Hachette Book Group in 2022.
Join an Information Session
Hear from Dr. Wadhwa and other Mentora Scholars
leaders about Mentora Scholars and its mission, ask
recent alumni about the experience, and connect with
fellow interested applicants.
You can attend virtually or in person at one of our upcoming sessions in Washington DC, Philadelphia, and New York City:
September 29, 2026 @ 5:00 pm
Georgetown’s McDonough School of Business
(Washington DC)
October 20, 2026 @ 4:00 pm
Virtual ( Zoom)
October 21, 2026 @ 12:00 pm
NYU (New York City)
October 27, 2026 @ 12:00 pm
Penn (Philadelphia)
October 29, 2026 @ 12:00 pm
Barnard (New York City)
October 29, 2026 @ 3:00 pm
Columbia (New York City)
Dates and locations are subject to change; details and exact locations will be emailed to registrants closer to the event.
What Scholars Are Saying
17+ universities represented.
One shared transformation
Our Organization
Mentora
Through the award-winning teachings of Dr. Hitendra Wadhwa, Mentora Founder, longtime Columbia Business School professor and author of Inner Mastery, Outer Impact, we have developed a practical method for living and leading from one’s inner core. This method integrates scientific research on human nature, studies of exemplary leaders, and spiritual principles from the world’s great truth-seeking traditions.
For nearly two decades, it has shaped the lives and leadership of more than 10,000 executives, lawyers, physicians, educators, MBA students, and formerly incarcerated citizens.
What We Teach
The Five Core Energies
Dr. Hitendra Wadhwa’s Inner Mastery, Outer Impact explores how activating five Core Energies—Purpose, Wisdom, Growth, Love, and Self-Realization—can help us lead from our Inner Core and create outer impact.
Purpose
Committed to
a noble cause
Wisdom
Calm and receptive
to truth
Growth
Curious and open
to new learnings
Love
Connected to your
team and those you
serve
Self-Realization
Centered in a joyful
spirit
How We Build These Energies
Mentora Scholars provides a unique environment for students to pursue deep reflection, strengthen their character, cultivate peer relationships, and hone their core beliefs about life, leadership, and the world, with a focus on three areas:
Inner Mastery
- Create clarity for yourself on your values and purpose, how you can express these in the world, and how to harmonize with your external environment when your values conflict with those of others.
- Identify which impulses, desires, emotions, thoughts and beliefs are true to you and which of them are “false friends” that are holding you back. Learn how to step away from them.
- Use adversities to make you better — not bitter.
- Ground your life in the joy that lies at your inner core, and in the form of service to humanity that you are uniquely gifted to manifest in the world.
- Build a connection with your inner voice as a source of clarity and wisdom to guide you on your life path.
Outer Impact
- Understand people at their core — not only who they are, but also who they can be.
- Practice forms of communication and connection that will inspire others to become the best versions of themselves.
- Learn the art of building fulfilling, long-term relationships.
- Acquire skills that will help you build trust, influence others, communicate with impact, give effective feedback, tackle conflicts and build high-performing teams.
- Develop a library of personal journey stories you can use to build your personal brand and to inspire and influence people toward a common purpose.
Changemaking
- Develop a more nuanced, balanced and illuminated understanding of the critical issues facing humanity today, so you can operate with a sincere and open search for truth in all matters.
- See truth in a more integrative light — as a diamond with many facets, all of which need to be discovered and integrated.
- Build a compelling vision for the kinds of change you wish to advance in the world and the audience you wish to serve. Learn how to adapt and express this vision in different roles and contexts you find yourself in as you progress personally and professionally in the years ahead.
- Bridge divides and forge integrative solutions, moving away from the tendency to see situations as either wholly good or wholly bad, and people as either heroes or villains, friends or enemies.
- Forge deep connections with other talented future leaders, forming relationships that are grounded not simply in shared experiences and interests, but shared values and beliefs. Join a growth partner circle where you can share perspectives, gain peer guidance and create accountability.
Student Testimony
How do you disarm others who might disagree? How do
Youness Robert Tahiri
you respectfully approach that with love? It’s a fine little
dance that any changemaker needs to know.
Frequently
Asked
Questions
Who teaches the program?
The program is led by Dr. Wadhwa, longtime faculty member, Columbia Business School and Founder of the Mentora Institute, along with Mentora faculty. Scholars also gain access to Mentora’s Luminary Network, accomplished leaders across business, sports, law, and public service who share their wisdom and mentorship with the cohort.
What will I learn?
The curriculum is built around three areas: Inner Mastery, Outer Impact, and Changemaking, and centers on the Five Core Energies from Dr. Wadhwa’s book, Inner Mastery, Outer Impact: Purpose, Wisdom, Growth, Love, and Self-Realization. In practice, that means learning to navigate hard conversations, earn trust with people who see the world differently than you, and think clearly under pressure. These are skills you will draw on for the rest of your life, not just during the residential program.
What spiritual or philosophical traditions does the curriculum draw on?
Mentora Scholars draws on decades of research into exemplary leadership, the study of transformative changemakers throughout history, and wisdom from a range of spiritual and truth-seeking traditions across cultures and eras. The program is not affiliated with any single religion, and no particular belief system is required to participate.
Who can apply?
We welcome applications from current undergraduate students at U.S. or Canadian colleges and universities, as well as students within one year of graduation.
I’m a graduating senior. Can I still apply?
Yes, but please note your commencement date, as it may conflict with the in-person Residential Immersion dates. If there’s a conflict, reach out to us so we can discuss options.
What are you looking for in applicants?
We look for students who are highly invested in their own growth, engaged in pursuing excellence in a field of their choosing, committed to creating positive change, and ready to commit to a practice-based, whole-person development journey.
When can I apply, and what are the deadlines?
- Applications open: Monday, September 14, 2026
- Early Priority Deadline: Sunday, November 8, 2026
- Final Deadline: Sunday, January 17, 2027
How and when will I hear back?
Acceptance decisions are made on a rolling basis between the early application deadline and the final deadline. We encourage applicants to apply early for priority consideration.
Is there an application fee?
No, there is no cost to apply to Mentora Scholars.
Is Mentora Scholars really free?
Yes. Successful applicants receive a full scholarship from the Mentora Foundation covering tuition, room, and board. Scholars are responsible for their own travel and incidental expenses.
What are the program dates?
The program unfolds in two parts:
- Core Curriculum (Virtual): February – April 2027
- Residential Immersion: May 17–28, 2027
Do I have to complete both parts?
Yes. The virtual Core Curriculum is a prerequisite for the Residential Immersion; students who do not complete the Core Curriculum will not be invited to participate.
Where is the Residential Immersion held?
The Residential Immersion takes place at the Scarritt Bennett Center in Nashville, Tennessee, a historic campus listed on the National Register of Historic Places, located near Vanderbilt University and about ten minutes from Nashville International Airport. The center was formerly the grounds of a historic college and was once host to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., who delivered a speech in the on-site chapel on April 25, 1957.
What does a typical day look like during the immersion?
Days combine morning practice (guided meditation, journaling, or a mindful walk), a shared breakfast, deep-dive morning sessions on the Five Principles, small-group practice and reflection, one-on-one faculty office hours, and evening scholar-led connection and free time to explore Nashville.
How much time does the virtual Core Curriculum require?
The Core Curriculum takes about 10–11 hours total, spread across February through April 2027. It’s designed to fit around your existing coursework and commitments.
What happens after I complete the Residential Immersion?
Completing the immersion is the beginning of a lifelong connection to Mentora. Scholars can stay engaged through three pathways: joining the global Mentora Scholars network, serving as a Campus Ambassador, and applying to become a Mentora Fellow.
What is a Campus Ambassador?
Campus Ambassadors bring Mentora’s mission to their university by hosting events, connecting peers, and helping grow the scholar community on campus.
What are Mentora Fellows?
Mentora Fellows is an application-based pathway for Scholars who want to take on a deeper leadership role within the Mentora ecosystem after completing the program.
How can I learn more before applying?
Join one of our information sessions (virtual or in-person) to hear from Dr. Wadhwa and program leaders, connect with past participants, and learn about the application process. You can also:
- Read Inner Mastery, Outer Impact by Dr. Hitendra Wadhwa: hitendra.com/book
- Visit our website: mentora.institute
- Contact: lauren.decker@mentora.institute
- Join our Community on Instagram: @mentorascholars
- Join an Information Session
- Join our mailing list