NJCU Partnering with US State Dept.’s Young Leaders from the Americas Program

On Mar 25, 2024

The New Jersey City University (NJCU) Guarini Institute for International Education and Economic Mobility has been selected this academic year as a partner organization of the Young Leaders from the Americas (YLAI) program overseen by The United States Department of State.

The aim of the YLAI program is to empower entrepreneurs to strengthen their capacity to launch and advance their entrepreneurial ideas and effectively contribute to social and economic development in their communities. Partner organizations like NJCU’s Guarini Institute serve as the host to Latin American entrepreneurs for four-week fellowships where the fellow will develop a project while collaborating with the host organization.

NJCU has hosted four fellows since last year, including two during an ongoing four-week fellowship this month. Sergio Alonso Tenorio, a fellow from Peru, is working alongside the Fintech & Sports Wagering Innovation Center while Luis Francisco Ornelas, a Mexican entrepreneur who leads a software development firm and has designed innovative health-related tech products, is completing a fellowship with the Guarini Institute.

Adrián Franco, the executive director of the Guarini Institute at NJCU, highlighted the benefits of the program, saying: “Hosting YLAI fellows represents an invaluable opportunity for NJCU. These young entrepreneurs offer our institution unique expertise and ideas to advance impactful initiatives. They also underscore NJCU’s connection with the Latino and the Latin America community.”

Since 2015, more than 1,000 fellows from Latin America, the Caribbean, and Canada have been connected with businesses and organizations across the United States through the Young Leaders from the Americas.

Ornelas will be working on a strategic marketing plan for the new platform brokenNOTBROKE.org created by the Guarini Institute to facilitate access to information on financial resources for childhood cancer. He noted that he is very excited and grateful for the opportunity to learn from experts in the marketing area in a project that will impact the health industry.

Meanwhile, Tenorio is working along the new Fintech & Sports Wagering Innovation Center. Originally from Peru, Sergio is COO and partner at a broadcast and production company for Esports. During his fellowship, he is supporting the Center in developing its programming calendar and designing its new space at the School of Business.

Tenorio stated: “I’m learning a lot about the Innovation Center and its relationship with different stakeholders. This will help me understand more about how to work with betting companies back in LATAM [Latin America].”

David Naczycz, executive director of the FinTech & Sports Wagering Innovation Center, added: “We are excited to be participating in the YLAI program and to be hosting Sergio. We are getting a lot of value from him for the center and we are glad that we can be supporting his growth as an entrepreneur and, through that, be contributing to the economic development of Peru.”

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