Port au Prince: The U.S. Embassy is proud to announce the 2017 cohort from Haiti for the Young Leaders of the Americas Initiative (YLAI) Professional Fellows Program. The YLAI program supports the United States’ commitment to increase trade and investment in the region and, in the words of Vice President Mike Pence, “bring even more of our business culture of entrepreneurship and innovation all across the Caribbean and Latin America so that Haiti’s prosperity and our prosperity will continue to expand together.” The five-week program, sponsored by the U.S. Department of State, will bring 250 young leaders from 36 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean to the United States to augment their business or social venture plans, learn from U.S. counterparts, and share best practices.
This year we are pleased to announce that six young leaders from Haiti have been accepted out of more than 3,000 applications to the YLAI Professional Fellows Program. The fellow’s field of interests ranges from public dentistry to youth unemployment, expanding the bakery business to establishing a start-up incubator for entrepreneurs. This year’s Haitian fellows are:
Jacquelin Alcius, co-founder the Club Entrepreneurial Accès Jeunes
Watson Cesaire, founder Sante Lakay
Miguelito Jerome, founder 500Gourdes.com
Altagrace Maignan, founder Belle Créole
Marie Flore Morett, founder of Délices de Marie Flore Morett
Jeffsky Poincy, founder of BUSY (Business-driven Solutions for Youth)
YLAI is a source of encouragement for entrepreneurs across the Americas. These exemplary young people are part of the generation working to shape a better tomorrow.
The YLAI Professional Fellows Program kicks off at a conference in Atlanta, Georgia. The young leaders then participate in four-week fellowships in cities throughout the United States, where host-businesses mentor and guide the fellows through an entrepreneurship curriculum. The program concludes with a closing Summit in Washington, D.C. focused on leadership and skills development training. Fellows return to their ventures with new skills, resources, on-going support from U.S. counterparts and an improved network, strengthening business ties between the U.S. and Haiti.
