YLAI – Young Leaders of the Americas Initiative

Young Leaders of the Americas Initiative (YLAI) is a program launched by president Obama to build linkages between the doers and makers across the hemisphere. It opens opportunities for the youth by empowering entrepreneurs and civil society leaders with the training, tools, networks and resources they need to transform their societies.

Besides its extensive digital network, YLAI includes a Professional Fellows Program that accelerate the commercial and social ventures’ success of its participants. In the 2016 edition YLAI received around 4,000 applications from 36 different countries across Latin America and the Caribbean, and only 250 individuals were identified as the most talented and promising and given the opportunity to be part of this innovative program.

Cultoural.com and its founder Maricha Martinez Sosa, were among this selected group and she was the only woman representing the Dominican Republic in this unique and diverse community.

The journey started on October 4th, 2016 in Dallas/Texas and will last until November 15th, 2016 with the Washington/DC YLAI Summit.

Within this dates Maricha will be placed in a Salt Lake City (Utah) NGO for a four-week Fellowship to gain valuable professional development skills and work jointly on a venture Action Plan to be implemented upon her return to their home country.

The following gallery resumes, from a photographic perspective, her experiences and portraits some of the people, traditions and discoveries found along her adventure.