Launched in 2015, the U.S. Department of State’s Young Leaders of the Americas Initiative (YLAI) empowers emerging business and social entrepreneurs from across Latin America, the Caribbean, Canada, and the United States, to realize the full economic potential of the region’s citizens. YLAI fosters prosperity, inclusive development, and democratic values, and equips young people, especially women, to transform their societies. Global Ties Detroit is excited to welcome fourteen entrepreneurs from Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, and Mexico to the Detroit area in 2023. While here, they will participate in four-week fellowships with local business and organizations, home hospitality dinners, site visits to local businesses and organizations, and cultural outings. The unique opportunities the YLAI program provides for the creation of cross-cultural partnerships, networking, and cultural exchange will enrich not only the lives and businesses of the fellows and their home communities, but metro Detroit as well.