Social Entrepreneurs Again Headed to Charlottesville for YLAI Fellowships

The Presidential Precinct is pleased to announce that it will host participants from the U.S. Department of State’s Young Leaders of the Americas Initiative (YLAI) Professional Fellows Program in September and October 2018. As part of the Fellowship, 10 young business and social entrepreneurs from 10 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean will travel to Charlottesville and be placed with local businesses, nonprofits, and similar entities to advance their entrepreneurial ideas and gather best practices to bring back to their home country.

The participants will arrive on September 22 and will further develop their business or organizational plans by engaging in skills-building workshops. They will also learn from U.S. counterparts by participating in day-to-day operations at their U.S. host organizations and collaborating on a joint project. YLAI Professional Fellows will develop stronger ties with other participants from Latin America and the Caribbean, as well as with their U.S. Fellowship Hosts.

The 2018 YLAI Fellows and their respective Fellowship Hosts are as follows:

Adrian Garcia-Casarrubias from Mexico will partner with Tech Dynamism, an IT consulting company that designs and implements solutions to free up businesses to focus on things that really matter.

Dana Vidal from Peru will partner with Press Dope, a PR and media relations alternative for socially-responsible brands in the fashion, entrepreneurship, sustainability, and tech industries.

Delia Larez from Venezuela will partner with Journey Group, a design company that seeks to define vision, create culture, and deliver experiences through its brand partnerships.

Evie Gurchuran from Guyana will partner with Mudhouse Coffee Roasters, which thoughtfully sources and roasts coffee of exceptional quality by investing specifically in direct trade relationships within the coffee roasting industry.

Janeel Boon from Saint Kitts and Nevis will partner with NWG Solutions, Charlottesville’s new breed of computer repair and managed IT services. NWG offers critical care for computer networks quickly and efficiently, day or night.

Melisa Diaz Acuña from Argentina will partner with Silverchair Information Systems, a service for scholarly and professional publishers who want to deliver distinctive online sites and products, helping them to achieve their product vision.

Nadia Jean Charles from Haiti will partner with the University of Virginia’s Department of Engineering and Society, which seeks to equip future engineers to apply judgement as well as analysis to global challenges.

Raul Munguia Melgar from Honduras will partner with Montfair Resort Farm, an eco-friendly and rustic destination for vacations, weddings, and events. With every guest, they strive to share the natural beauty of their family-owned and operated property.

Regina Smith from the Bahamas will partner with The Spice Diva, a place for those who love to cook, offering spices, teas, Belgian chocolates, and more. Talented local chefs often offer cooking classes right on the shop floor.

Stanley Cabrera from El Salvador will partner with CvilleArts, a gallery for crafts and art on the Charlottesville Downtown Mall that features the work of local Virginia artists.

View impact stories from last year’s Young Leaders of the Americas Initiative program here.

To complement the U.S.-based program, Fellowship Hosts from 20 cities around the U.S. will be selected to travel to the region in spring 2019 to implement a project that can benefit the community. They will also share best practices and support the progress of the Fellows’ action plans. Additionally, U.S. Fellowship Hosts will participate in speaking events and small-scale trainings.

The Presidential Precinct, a nonprofit organization based in Charlottesville, Virginia, is proud to work with Meridian International Center, a premier nonprofit, global leadership organization headquartered in Washington, D.C. The ylai.state.gov website includes information about the YLAI Professional Fellows Program. You can learn more about the Presidential Precinct at www.presidentialprecinct.org.

For press inquiries, contact:

The Presidential Precinct
Drew Precious, Marketing & Communications Manager <dprecious@presidentialprecinct.org>

Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, U.S. Department of State
<ECA-Press@state.gov>

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