YLAI Alumni engage Jamaican entrepreneurs on US market entry

Close to 100 Jamaican entrepreneurs converged for a Young Leaders of the Americas Initiative (YLAI) alumni event last Wednesday to gain insights on how to enter the United States (US) market.

YLAI is the US Department of State’s flagship programme that empowers emerging entrepreneurs from the region to advance their ideas and contribute to the social and economic development of their communities.

“As Jamaica continues to enhance its economic competitiveness in the region and beyond, I believe we are at a pivotal moment in the US-Jamaica relationship. By working together, we can ensure this partnership yields even greater benefits for both countries. We remain committed to supporting you – through events like this and beyond – by fostering connections between entrepreneurs, policymakers, and potential investors,” said Amy Tachco, chargé d’affaires at the US Embassy in Kingston.

The event, held at AC Hotel in St Andrew, under the theme: Jamaican Entrepreneurs in Focus: US Market Entry, comprised a fireside conversation with Matthew Mclarty, former innovation director at Oxford Innovation, an expert panel discussion, and a networking session. The expert panel included Nicole Adamson, manager, research, business planning, and investor relations at VM Wealth Management; Christopher Brown, programme manager for Boosting Innovation, Growth, and Entrepreneurship Ecosystems at the Development Bank of Jamaica; Stephen Dawkins, group export manager at Wisynco Group Ltd; and Simon Johnson, investment officer at IDB Lab.

Rachael Callaghan, YLAI alumna and event organiser, stated that the YLAI experience truly begins after the fellowship programme.

“Medium, small and micro enterprises form the backbone of the Jamaican economy and along this vein, the YLAI network plays an important role in bolstering the US-Jamaica partnership,” she said. “For this alumni event, we wanted to equip young Jamaican thinkers and doers with a solid toolkit to move the needle towards successful US market entry.”

Sixty Jamaicans have participated in the YLAI Fellowship Program, which enters its 10th year in 2025.

YLAI is funded by the US government and implemented by partners IREX and Red de Impacto. The programme promotes US business models, increases trade, encourages job creation, and builds lasting and sustainable networks of young entrepreneurs and business and social leaders across the Caribbean, Latin America, Canada, and the US.

Andre Robb, YLAI alumnus, shared, “I think the objectives were met – we learned a lot about pathways to enter the US market as entrepreneurs. Importantly, the event underscored the value of the YLAI alumni community. You get to know people who are the movers and shakers in a lot of different niches. It is also good to network laterally as opposed to engaging with people who are at the very top of organizations. It is good to be in league with people who will become the CEOs, but for now, we’re all treading the same water together.”