3 Guyanese to participate in 2022 YLAI Fellowship program

The United States Embassy in Georgetown on Monday announced the 2022 cohort from Guyana for the Department o

f State’s Young Leaders of the Americas Initiative (YLAI) Fellowship Program.
This year, three young leaders from Guyana have been accepted out of over 2000 applicants. They are Akola Thompson, Jermaine Slater and Ulex Smith.
Thompson is a gender-based violence (GBV) specialist who leads a community of feminists in becoming stronger leaders in their homes and communities. The organisation, Tamùkke Feminists, provides information to women and girls on issues relevant to their social, economic, and mental development with the aim of promoting the formation of a network of feminists, who are leaders in their homes and communities. Going to the YLAI Fellowship, Thompson’s top business challenge is law and policy.
Meanwhile, Slater is the owner of a tutoring service and a gaming business called Slaters Gaming. The company’s pilot card game is called Jus Drink, which is based on the Guyanese Creole language. The game provided entertainment and education for local Guyanese customers, and brings back memories of times spent in Guyana for migrant customers. The company is unique because there is no other business that produces Guyanese card games. Going to the YLAI Fellowship, Slater’s top business challenge is finance.
Additionally, Smith is the founder of Signature Move Marketing Agency. She informs small businesses about the importance of brand awareness. The agency provides digital and social media services, sales and marketing strategies, simple corporate graphic designs, and more. Going to the YLAI Fellowship, Smith’s top business challenge is finance.
The YLAI Program will begin in January with virtual engagement with the Fellowship Curriculum and participation in the virtual opening orientation before departing to the United States for a four-week professional placement with their host organisation. The programme concludes in Washington, DC, in July.
Launched in 2015, YLAI empowers emerging entrepreneurs from the Western Hemisphere to enable the full economic potential of the region’s citizens. The 2022 programme will begin in January and close in July, bringing together 280 young leaders from 37 countries in Latin America, the Caribbean, and Canada for a fellowship.