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. 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.
The YTILI Fellows Program is a two-way exchange program designed to strengthen the transatlantic relationship, develop sustainable partnerships between U.S. and European entrepreneurs and innovators, promote regional integration and cooperation in Europe, and encourage European businesses, governments and civil society to develop their innovation ecosystems. The program includes a customized virtual YTILI entrepreneurial curriculum; a fellowship with a business or organization in one of nine U.S. cities; opening and closing conferences; and alumni engagement opportunities.
Have you ever considered hosting an International Professional Fellow?
This is your opportunity to meet a new colleague and a new friend abroad.
Your chance is here! May 14 – June 12, 2022 we will welcome the Young Transatlantic Innovation Leaders Initiative (YTILI), the U.S. Department of State’s flagship program for emerging entrepreneurs from Europe. They are professional entrepreneurs in medicine, social innovation, technology, logistics, and workforce development visiting the U.S. to learn new business skills and strengthen relationships with the U.S. Citizen diplomacy at its best!
Interested? Click here to learn more.
It’s a unique and rewarding experience like no other. Just listen to why Steve Kelly, Chairman & Co-Founder – ELAP Services, takes his time to host.
What is the commitment of a host?
4 weeks (March 28 – April 22, 2022): 4 days per week (Monday – Thursday)
Have a daily meeting or work alongside your YTILI Fellow during your normal workday. Get insights from your Fellow on your current projects. Bring your fellow to staff and client meetings. Introduce your Fellow to other departments within the company and to colleagues in Philadelphia.
A hybrid work environment is ok and ideally, 2 days in the office, 2 days virtual. Fellows should have access to the physical office or co-working space.
Fellows will have programming through Citizen Diplomacy International on Fridays as well as other evening social occasions.
The Fellows
Dragana Lipovac
As the CEO of HUBBIG d.o.o., a logistics company for cargo transporters, Dragana Lipovac seeks to transform the logistics industry in Southeast Europe. Through her company’s success, Dragana aims to show young people that logistics is not only a crucial industry in the world of e-commerce but also plays a critical role in optimizing transport to be environmentally friendly. She is looking forward to using the YTILI experience to springboard her company’s success onto the global market. Dragana is seeking experience at a logistics company similar to her own where she can continue to gain experience in the industry.
Hanna-Liis Remmelg
Hanna-Liis Remmelg is the business incubator manager at the Tartu Science Park. She is responsible for managing a variety of incubator activities, serves as the sTARTUp Day team pitch manager, and is responsible for the dealflow between the sTARTUp Day team and the Estonian Business Angels Network. Through this fellowship, Hanna-Liis is seeking to learn how to better engage more scientists to start deep-tech research and startups. Hanna-Liis wants to learn from an incubator to gain a better understanding of how they work in the U.S. and how their success can be applied to the technology scene in Estonia.
Thanasios Vratimos
Athanasios Vratimos is the Co-Founder and Business Developer at GIVMED, a company that collects unused medicine and distributes it to socially vulnerable people. He plays a leading role in GIVMED, overseeing the day-to-day operations, is the face of the company and develops long-term strategy. By participating in YTILI, Athanasios is looking forward to participating in professional development classes to refine his leadership skills. Athanasios is looking to learn from a more experienced tech startup in the healthcare industry to learn more about that sector in the U.S. and gain knowledge on scaling.
Csenge Kolozsvári
As the President and Co-Founder of Hidak Ifjusagi Alapitvany (Youth Bridges Budapest), a company that aims to support young people dealing with the challenges of the 21st century, Csenge Kolozsvári is responsible for a variety of tasks, such as grant proposal writing, project development, and event management. By participating in YTILI, Csenge is looking to learn more about community development and take back experiences she can apply to her own organization. Csenge is looking to learn from a civil society organization which deals with educational development, non-formal education, innovation, and educational technologies to better understand that sector.
Kjartan Thorsson
Kjartan Thorsson is the CEO of Nordverse Medical Solutions, a business dedicated to fighting the opioid crisis and saving lives. Their website Reduceplan.com enables medical doctors to create quick and personalized opioid tapering plans allowing interaction with their patients during the tapering period. Since its launch, Reduceplan.com has been free of charge, and they are now validating its freemium business model. Through YTILI, Kjartan is looking for the tools and experience needed to be a better leader and to join a venture capital fund in the health tech industry to better understand the market.
Andreea Serban
Andreea Serban is the Founder and CEO of KIDoc Plus, a social enterprise that increases the quality of life for parents of children with chronic diseases and helps them to provide optimal care for their children. In her role, Andreea is responsible for creating medical content, securing funding, customer outreach, and parent community building. Andreea has worked on projects in her community that support innovation for children and Womenpreneurs. Andreea is looking for YTILI to equip her with the tools and experience needed to expand her organization and her international network.
Nikita Karavaev
Nikita Karavaev is the CEO and Co-Founder of Functor Team, a consulting firm focused on software solutions. Nikita’s business covers the IT needs of its customers, from software development to processes automation to systems integration. His goal is to make technology no longer a burden for businesses. Through YTILI, Ivan seeks an actionable plan of business transformation or evolution which would be based both on acquired skills, connections, insights from one side, and his values. Nikita is looking to work at a consulting firm that can give him the opportunity to analyze his business via the lens of new experiences and business practices.
What do you gain in exchange?
- Learn in-depth about the economy of your Fellow’s country, polish your personal cross-cultural skills, and gain a new friend.
- It’s invigorating to get a fresh perspective from a fellow CEO/founder on your business.
- You are promoting a “learning mindset” in yourself and with everyone in the organization that your Fellow meets. That’s leadership!
- You also get a chance to apply to participate in a fully-paid, Reciprocal Exchange in your Fellow’s country from September 14-22, 2022.
- Please note that if safe travel is not possible at the time of the YTILI Fellowship, this program will be conducted virtually or postponed.
For more information, please contact Anna Schneider, Senior Program Officer, Citizen Diplomacy International of Philadelphia at direct cell (267)-546-7335 or anna.schneider@cdiphila.org.
