Notre Dame to Host Young Leaders of the Americas Initiative (YLAI) Fellows

The University of Notre Dame will welcome ten business and social entrepreneurs from across Latin America and the Caribbean beginning Monday, Oct. 9, as part of the 2017 Young Leaders of the Americas Initiative (YLAI) program.

The YLAI program aims to empower business and social entrepreneurs to transform their societies and contribute more fully to economic development and prosperity, security, human rights and good governance in the hemisphere.

As part of the four-week program, the YLAI fellows will each shadow one business or nonprofit organization in the Michiana region for four days each week during regular business hours. By working alongside these host organizations, the fellows will learn to accelerate their commercial and social ventures’ success and develop specific action plans to carry out upon return to their home countries.

Notre Dame Initiative for Global Development (NDIGD) and the Kellogg Institute for International Studies, both part of the new Keough School of Global Affairs, will supplement the fellows’ experience through an entrepreneurship institute on campus and through various networking, leadership, and cultural events.

Since the program’s establishment in 2016, NDIGD and the Kellogg Institute have partnered to facilitate the program at Notre Dame.

As it did last year, the Kellogg Institute is contributing academic content to the partnership by giving campus presentations; hosting dialogues with scholars and practitioners; facilitating speed networking with doctoral students (many of whom hail from Latin America); and hosting a closing reception.

The 2017 class of YLAI fellows, four men and six women, hail from ten countries:

  • Bruno Felipe Domingues Correa (Brazil) is the founder of Bruno’s School of English, a tutoring company that offers low-cost English lessons to students.
  • Eva Herbert (Venezuela) is the founder and CEO of Beauty Value, an organization committed to providing women with greater self-acceptance to counteract bullying, eating disorders and gender-based violence.
  • Erik Huamanchumo (Peru) is the co-founder of Acritel, a company that produces custom-made acrylic displays to create more jobs in the community and serve as an alternative to large companies.
  • Kiddist McCoy (Jamaica) is the cofounder of Good Deeds Foundation Jamaica, which addresses the country’s high level of youth unemployment by hosting empowerment sessions and career expos for youth.
  • Kawish Misier (Aruba) is the cofounder and treasurer of the Young Entrepreneurs Stitching of Aruba (YES Aruba), a nonprofit aimed at inspiring and encouraging the sustainable growth of new small businesses and entrepreneurs.
  • Damaris Ortiz Rodriguez (Mexico) is the founder of Abba’s House, a company that sells handcrafted coffee, tea, and products made from amaranth.
  • Freddy Poma (Bolivia) is the founder and CEO of Buena Fuente (“Good Source”), an organization dedicated to helping university students develop journalistic skills.
  • Jennifer Reimert (Colombia) is the cofounder of Melisfera SAS, a natural honey and hive product provider with an emphasis on environmental and social sustainability.
  • Susana Soriano (El Salvador) is the founder of Business Consulting Services, which helps leaders of micro-, small-, and medium-sized enterprises learn how to develop their companies.
  • Marysela Zamora (Costa Rica) is the founder of Fábrica de Historias (“Stories Factory”), a production company that empowers women in the arts.

For full profiles of each YLAI fellow, click here.

Notre Dame is among an elite group of 24 universities and city hubs chosen by the US Department of State and its implementing partner, Meridian International Center, to host the YLAI fellows, who are part of a nationwide cohort of 250.

In mid-November, the fellows will travel to Washington, DC for a multiday conference and networking event with top US government officials, as well as global public, private, and nonprofit leaders.

For more information about the YLAI program at Notre Dame, visit ndigd.nd.edu/YLAI.

Contact: Luis Ruuska, communications specialist, Notre Dame Initiative for Global Development, lruuska@nd.edu

The Kellogg Institute for International Studies, part of the University of Notre Dame’s new Keough School of Global Affairs, is an interdisciplinary community of scholars and students from across the University and around the world that promotes research, provides educational opportunities, and builds linkages related to two topics critical to our world—democracy and human development.