On May 9, the U.S. Department of State welcomed 250 Young Leaders of the Americas Initiative (YLAI) fellows to the United States. The YLAI Fellowship advances entrepreneurship and economic prosperity in the Western Hemisphere. During the fellowship, business and social entrepreneurs from 37 countries in Latin America, the Caribbean, and Canada collaborate with American companies and social enterprises in 19 U.S. cities. The Young Leaders of the Americas Initiative (YLAI) Fellowship Program is a U.S. Department of State-funded initiative and implemented by IREX.
YLAI Fellows represent the geographic, cultural, and racial diversity of the Western Hemisphere. Selected from a pool of more than 1,800 applicants, the 250 Fellows represent diverse industries including clean energy, technology, arts and culture, agriculture, hospitality, and marketing.
Following four-week Fellowship placements, Fellows will get together in Washington, D.C. in June 2023 for the YLAI Closing Forum. To learn more about the YLAI Fellowship visit ylai.state.gov and follow #YLAI2023. For more information on joining the free YLAI network or how to apply for the upcoming YLAI fellowship program, please visit https://ylai.state.gov/.
For press inquiries, please contact ECA-Press@state.gov.
