YLAI Connect to host first ever youth entrepreneur networking event

The Young Leaders of the Americas Initiative (YLAI) Connect, a local non-profit youth private enterprise organisation in Guyana, will be hosting a youth networking event to expose young businessmen/businesswomen to mentoring opportunities that will help to expand their entities.

According to Abbigale Loncke, the networking event was initiated to encourage young leaders in Guyana to press on in their business ventures and to network with other seasoned entrepreneurs to share new ideas.
The event will be held at the Tower Suites on Monday, where Business Minister Dominic Gaskin and Motivational Leader on entrepreneurship Rosh Khan will make presentations.
The organisation was established by Loncke, along with Dason Anthony (Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Five92 Dresses), Shaunda Yarde, Judason Dess and Tristan Thompson, and was endorsed by the US Embassy.
Alluding to the importance of the event, Loncke said,“This event will help these entrepreneurs to raise awareness about their companies and to learn from seasoned entrepreneurs how to run their businesses.”
She noted that in Guyana, there is a lot of red tape pertaining to funding for start-up businesses and so the organisation is also exploring the idea of offering small start-up funds for these young leaders. She added that this is just the first step for the YLAI Connect, since in 2017 they will be organising an award ceremony to celebrate young leaders, in their different capacities.
“What we want to do is basically youth honouring youths. This is what is motivating us and what is driving us,” she said, adding that this will be the first networking event in a long line of others.
Loncke was one of four Guyanese chosen by the US Embassy in Georgetown to participate in the Young Leaders of the Americas Initiative in the United States, which began in October.
Approximately 250 young leaders from Latin America and the Caribbean participated in the five-week programme, but Loncke was one of the YLAI finalists from 21 city hub competitions around the US who competed in the final pitch competition in Washington, DC. Following that final pitch competition, Loncke travelled to Peru for the US President’s town hall meeting.
It was there President Barrack Obama commended her openly for her commitment to her country and drive to provide specialised home care services to people.“We need leaders like Abbigale!” President Obama declared during his final international speech and town hall meeting in Lima, Peru.
“After struggling to find her own grandfather home care, she realised that this is a problem for other families, so she started Community Healthcare, a home care agency. She started out as a service to help families take care of their loved ones,” President Obama stated, adding that Loncke created a social movement that provides training and job opportunities for young women in the healthcare industry. “Thank you, Abbigale, for the great work you are doing!” the US President said.