DEADLINE: Applications are due by 11:59pm Pacific Time on Wed Sep 9. 

THE BASICS: $22,500 stipend | 3 months (Oct 19 - Jan 29) | 2 residents in the pilot

ABOUT THE PROGRAM

New_ Public is a launchpad for mission-driven entrepreneurs building the future of human connection. This fall, we are piloting an entrepreneur in residence program — a virtual residency that includes a stipend, expert advice, a community of ambitious peers, and time to go from early hunch to conviction and clarity.

If you want to build better social technology and have a hunch you want to explore. If you are interested in creating platforms that increase social trust, agency, and belonging, rather than atomize and enrage us, apply. 
 

WHAT WE OFFER

• $22,500 stipend plus $1,500 toward an AI coding tool of your choice
• Hands-on product and strategy support through office hours with senior New_ Public staff and advice from outside experts
• Access to five years of New_ Public's research on moderation, governance, community stewardship, and platform design
• Introductions to New_ Public's network — spanning major platforms, startups, academic researchers, and philanthropic partners — to help with early user testing, community partnerships, product feedback, and possibly fundraising
• The pilot cohort will also kick off together at an in-person New_ Public retreat in Philadelphia in October.

WHAT YOU WILL DO

The residency is structured around one goal: move from early hunch to clear idea and conviction in three months. 

• 💡Explore widely and be your most productive self. With a stipend and an open calendar, you have self-directed time to prototype your ideas, test your assumptions, and get something real out into the world.
• 🤝 Participate fully in the residency. That means regular check-ins with your New_ Public point of contact, engagement with other residents and our broader team, and openness to candid feedback on your product and strategy. 
• 📈 Engage seriously with go-to-market questions. Who is your user? How will they find you? What's the path to sustainability? We will push on these questions and help you find answers based on evidence, not assumptions.
• 🚧 Help us build this program. As our first cohort, your experience will directly shape how the entrepreneur in residence program works going forward. We'll ask for your honest feedback on what's useful, what isn't, and what's missing — and we'll adjust in real time. If you need a fully polished program with every detail locked in on day one, this isn't the right fit. But if you thrive in environments where you're helping build the thing you're participating in, we want to talk.

At the end of the three months, each resident will have a clear picture of where their product stands: what's working, what isn't, and what it would take to reach the next stage. 

New_ Public will work with graduating residents to identify the right next steps, whether that's continued support, introductions to funders, or an honest conversation about whether the idea has legs.

Eligibility

This pilot is open to applicants based in the United States, Canada, or Mexico. As we establish this program, we want the cohort to be in similar time zones and be able to stay closely connected with the New_ Public team, most of whom are on the West Coast. 

If you are in the UK or EU, stay tuned. We plan to open the next cohort to the UK and EU starting in Spring 2027. And we will continue to expand from there. 

Find out more at https://newpublic.org/EIR
Questions? Reach out to [email protected].