The Young Leaders of the Americas Initiative (YLAI) is the U.S. Department of State’s flagship entrepreneurship program for emerging business leaders and entrepreneurs from Latin America, the Caribbean, and Canada. YLAI is a competitive fellowship program structured as an international exchange funded by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs and implemented by IREX, a non-profit based in Washington D.C. 

IREX is requesting applications from those interested in serving as a YLAI Cohort Ambassador for the FY24 YLAI Fellowship cohort. Cohort Ambassadors will be a selection of organizations based in 18 target cities across the United States who serve as local partners for facilitating a cohesive cohort and fostering cross-cultural understanding through local cultural and professional engagements. The FY24 YLAI Fellowship will be a hybrid program, consisting of virtual and in-person programming. Fellows will engage with the online curriculum before traveling to the U.S. to complete in-person fellowship components from April 27th  – June 3rd, 2026.  

Ideal candidates have diverse industry connections and can showcase American culture and entrepreneurship. Through their role in the Fellowship, Cohort Ambassadors gain opportunities to create and strengthen business community ties and capacity, amplify their ecosystem of partners with increased visibility, gain recognition with the U.S. Department of State, and get exposure to the YLAI Network of more than 1,750 Fellows and 55,000+ network members. These benefits allow Cohort Ambassadors to expand their community's reach while contributing to meaningful cross-cultural entrepreneurial exchanges between the United States and emerging business leaders from Latin America, the Caribbean, and Canada. 

Download the YLAI FY24 Cohort Ambassador Request for Applications document for more information on Cohort Ambassador roles and responsibilities, fellowship timeline, application submission requirements (with links to application materials), application evaluation, and other subaward-related details. 

If you are interested in providing this service, please send an email with your application materials attached to Sadie Traylor at straylor@irex.org. Applications must be received no later than 11:59 p.m. Eastern Standard Time on the extended closing date indicated above with the subject line “YLAI Fellowship Cohort Ambassador Application”