The Young Transatlantic Innovation Leaders Initiative Fellowship Program
The Young Transatlantic Innovation Leaders Initiative (YTILI) is the U.S. Department of State's flagship program for emerging entrepreneurs from Europe. A cohort of young European entrepreneurs from 45 countries will participate in a robust fellowship program in 2021-2022.
YTILI Fellowship: Empowering European Entrepreneurs
Since its launch in 2016, approximately 300 alumni from across Europe have bolstered their business skills and transatlantic partnerships through the YTILI Fellowship Program. YTILI uses entrepreneurship as a tool for economic empowerment to promote mutual understanding, enhance business and leadership skills, and build lasting partnerships between business leaders from Europe and the United States. Beginning in October 2021, YTILI will empower a new cohort of young European business and social entrepreneurs to grow their ventures, foster global partnerships, and positively impact the economic development of their communities.
YTILI Program Goals
Mutual Understanding
YTILI deepens cross-cultural understanding through fellowship placements, homestays, community service, cultural activities, and reciprocal exchanges.
Transatlantic Partnership Building
YTILI creates a dynamic network of leaders that supports entrepreneurial partnerships between the people of Europe and the United States through networking events, international conferences, and alumni engagement.
Leadership & Entrepreneurial Skill Development
YTILI commits to providing quality fellowship placements and expert-led curricula to inspire Fellows to grow their businesses in size and impact, and drive positive change in the economic ecosystems in their home communities.
Sustainable Professional Exchange & Collaboration
YTILI provides Fellows with opportunities to engage before, during, and after the U.S. Fellowship to collaborate and share ideas, approaches, and strategies to continue to improve their business or social ventures.
YTILI Program Details
Small Grants
YTILI Fellows will have the opportunity to apply for small grants to realize their action plans and continue to foster the program goals of promoting transatlantic partnerships, enhancing entrepreneurial skill development, and sustaining professional exchange and collaboration beyond their fellowship experience.
Housing
To further cultivate cross-cultural relationships, YTILI Fellows will stay in homestay accommodations for the duration of their U.S. fellowships. Fellows will commute to and from their fellowship host organizations by public transportation.
Cultural Activities & Community Service
YTILI Fellows will participate in various cultural activities and acts of community service to supplement their U.S. fellowship placements and expand their understanding of their host communities. Through these activities, Fellows will connect with community leaders and cultural representatives from the U.S. and engage in transatlantic dialogues.
U.S. Fellowship Placement Outline
Each YTILI Fellow will work in his or her host organization's office Monday through Thursday for four weeks during the U.S. Fellowship. Fellows can contribute to and learn from the host organizations in a variety of ways, including projects, meetings in the field, job shadowing, or independent research. Fellows will continue their Mini MBA curriculum and participate in community service on Fridays.
Eligibility
Competition for the YTILI Fellowship Program is merit-based and open to young entrepreneurs and leaders in their home communities who meet the following criteria:
- Applicants between the ages of 25 and 35 at the time of application.
- Applicants who are citizens of the following countries: Albania, Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Kosovo, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Moldova, Montenegro, Netherlands, North Macedonia, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, United Kingdom.
- Applicants must be living and working in their country of citizenship.
- Have at least two (2) years of experience at their current social or business venture.
- Able to begin the YTILI Mini MBA Entrepreneurship Curriculum in November 2021 and their U.S. based experience in March – April 2022.
- Are eligible and able to receive a U.S. J-1 Visa.
- Are proficient in reading, writing, and speaking English at the time of application.
- Are committed to returning to his or her home country after completion of the program.
- Are not a U.S. Citizen or permanent resident of the United States or have applied for U.S. permanent residency in the past three years.
- Are not a U.S. government employee.
- Have not participated in an exchange visitor program sponsored or funded by the U.S. Department of State in the past five years.
- Are not residing or working outside of Europe at the time of application.
For more information click "LINK TO ORIGINAL" below.
This opportunity has expired. It was originally published here:
https://ytili-worldchicago.org/about-ytili