An international leader before 30

The world was on fire: 2021 I was there.

Not in Washington DC as, in principle, the opening of the YLAI Young Leaders of the Americas Initiative (YLAI) program would be, but from my room, sitting at the table in front of the window overlooking the backyard.

It was early March, after the threat of burnout I had experienced at the last company I worked for. The scenario was a little rough: a company that claimed to be "anti-racist" but had no real commitment to this agenda, which was a relief to start the YLAI program at exactly that time.

As a result of the pandemic situation, we were the first fully virtual fellows. YLAI's platform offers a series of courses that involve entrepreneurship: innovation; digital challenges; creativity; diversity and inclusion; crises responses; investment; entrepreneurial curriculum; Communication; social justice. Additionally, lectures with international experts.

I was very excited when I made the first video call with my host from North Carolina. Afronta Coletivo was going through a phase of redesign of the team, designing our pillars, what our goals are and how to make the business financially stable.

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The host company would have to help me boost my social business, Afronta Coletivo, developing with me a business plan considering those challenges that I applied on the program: strategy, finance and marketing. Besides, I was mentoring by a mentor from California who shared her business knowledge, networking, tips for social medias and how to achieve results.

The host delegated me to be responsible for fundraising strategy to promote the health, food and security of the people in conditions of social vulnerability in the community.

My job was to develop a campaign where I had to create a sensitive and moving institutional video with the company's values ​​using the advocacy strategies I've learned to influence political players and individuals in order to support the host new project.

Likewise, considering that, as a social impact business, Afronta Coletivo focuses on suburban black women, the experience was very important.

Another important phase of the program that facilitated networking among YLAIers was the group sectorization of Fellows by area of interest. Of course, the exchanges via WhatsApp and/or Zoom do not compare with a good hug to the Brazilian one, but COVID-19 is there, isn't it?

In general, participating in an international leadership exchange program made me understand how fundamental it is to look at social actions with strategies, as the results come, first of all, from a good harmony between the team, then from building ethical principles and short, medium and long term goals, seeks to reach investors who share their values.