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. Global Ties Detroit is excited to welcome fourteen fellows from Argentina, Bahamas, Brazil, Colombia, El Salvador, Guatemala, Mexico, Paraguay, and Trinidad and Tobago in the 2026 cohort. While here, they will participate in a four-week fellowship program 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.