THE U.S. Embassy is proud to announce the Guyana cohort of the 2017 Young Leaders of the Americas Initiative (YLAI) Professional Fellows Programme.

The five-week programme, sponsored by the U.S. Department of State, will bring 250 young leaders from 36 countries in the Caribbean and Latin America to the United States to augment their business or social venture plans, learn from U.S. counterparts, and share best practices, the US Embassy here said.

According to the embassy the YLAI programme 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] so that your prosperity and our prosperity will continue to expand together.”

Out of well over 3,000 applications submitted from the region, three young Guyanese leaders have been accepted to the Programme: Suzanne Hamilton, Founder of Sosh Solutions in Linden, which offers globally recognised professional qualification courses for local entrepreneurs and addresses the unavailability of professional and youth development opportunities in the fields of accounting, business, and finance.

Charles Hutson founded Ecab, a mobile app for calling taxis that allows cab-seekers to electronically hail the closest available cab, while allowing drivers to earn more by saving on gasoline and time. Christine Profitt is the founder of The Scrubs Hub, an organisation that provides quality medical garments and personal protective gear for medical professionals across Guyana at an affordable cost. As part of her social responsibility commitment, Christine has committed a percentage of the organisation’s income towards the “I CAN” project for disadvantaged youth, single parents, and other young adults in Agricola.

The YLAI Professional Fellows Programme kicks off in Atlanta, Georgia. The young leaders will then participate in a four-week fellowship in cities throughout the United States, where the host-businesses will mentor and guide the fellows through an entrepreneurship curriculum.

The program concludes with a closing summit in Washington, D.C., which will focus on leadership and skills development training. Fellows would then return to their ventures with new skills, resources, on-going support from U.S. counterparts, and an improved network, strengthening business ties between the United States and Guyana.