The Fellowship takes place in Seattle and 16 other cities across the USA
from April 27 – May 21, 2026.
YLAI is the U.S. Department of State’s flagship program for emerging
leaders across the Western Hemisphere. It strengthens economic and cultural ties throughout the
Americas by fostering entrepreneurship, innovation, and cross-regional collaboration.
Each YLAI Fellow collaborates with a U.S. Fellowship Placement Organization (FPO)
for 4 weeks (16 business days) in a professional exchange that creates shared value:
Fellows act as consultants and help an organization with a specific project that will benefit the placement organization.
On top of it, U.S. organizations gain valuable global perspectives and lasting international connections.
We invite you to join the initiative as a 2026 YLAI FPO!
All the expenses are covered by the grant when fellows are here, the grant also fully covers the reciprocal exchange.
For all the questions, please email Manager of Education Programs Olena Vlasova at olena@fiuts.org
Interested to learn more, join us at the Networking event hosted by one of the Fellowship Placement organizations.
We are inviting mission-driven businesses and nonprofits in Seattle to learn how local organizations can host and benefit from serving as Fellowship Placement Organizations (FPOs) for YLAI Fellows
Event Details:
January 21 | 5:30pm-7pm PST
Indi Chocolate, 1901 Western Ave D, Seattle, WA 98101
Appetizers and beverages provided
The event will include:
Brief remarks from former YLAI Alum Jairo Alejandro Angel Escobar and Erin Andrews, CEO of three-time Fellowship Placement Organization Indi Chocolate
Time to connect with other Seattle organizations driving economic development and local impact
This event is designed for organizations curious about engaging global talent and building international partnerships.
Hosted by Foundation for International Understanding Through Students (FIUTS).