The Young Transatlantic Innovation Leaders Initiative (YTILI) is the U.S. Department of State’s flagship program for emerging entrepreneurs from Europe. The YTILI Program will engage a cohort of young European entrepreneurs in program activities to enhance the transatlantic dialogue between business leaders from Europe and the United States and create sustained cross-cultural collaboration.  Hungarian entrepreneurs are encouraged to apply.

The 2024 YTILI Fellowship Application is now open! Applications will be accepted through March 24, 2023.
Please note that if safe travel is not possible at the time of the YTILI Fellowship, this program will be conducted virtually.

The mission of the YTILI Fellows Program is to promote mutual understanding, enhance entrepreneurship and leadership skills, and build lasting partnerships between business leaders from Europe and the United States. YTILI Fellows are entrepreneurs between the ages of 25-35 with at least two years’ experience managing a business or social venture in their home countries. The YTILI Fellows will participate in an in-person and virtual Entrepreneurship Curriculum, a fellowship placement in the U.S., and have the opportunity to participate in a Reciprocal Exchange. The Fellowship is designed to empower young entrepreneurs to grow their ventures and foster global partnerships. The YTILI Fellowship Program is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State with funding provided by the U.S. Government and supported in its implementation by World Chicago.

The YTILI Fellowship includes the following

Key dates

February 1, 2023 – MARCH 24, 2023: Application Open

February 13: #AskMeAnything – Application Overview Webinar
From an overview of the YTILI application components to actionable steps for creating a strong application, this session will help you get started. Register at https://bit.ly/ytili2024-overview 

February 23: #YTILIalumni Panel 
Register to hear #ExchangeAlumni reflect on their YTILI experiences and how it has influenced where they are today: https://bit.ly/ytilialumni-panel

March 15: #AskMeAnything – Application Workshop
Maybe you’re in the middle of writing your application and you have some questions or maybe you have just started and need to know where to begin. This webinar will be useful for every applicant at any stage of the process. Register now at https://bit.ly/ytili2024-workshop.

The 2024 YTILI Fellowship Program will run from January 2024 to June 2024, with U.S. travel elements scheduled for April-May 2024.

The 2024 YTILI Fellowship Application is now open! Applications will be accepted through March 24, 2023. Apply at https://ytili.org/

Hungarian YTILI Alumni

Since its launch in 2016, the YTILI Fellowship Program has empowered approximately 300 alumni from across Europe to bolster their business skills and transatlantic partnerships. To date, ten Hungarian entrepreneurs have participated in the program.

Read YTILI Fellowship Experience of a Young Hungarian Entrepreneur, a testimonial written by László Kindrusz, YTILI ’22 alumnus.

In 2020, Dóra Pálfi YTILI alumna was featured on Shark Tank Hungary and was successful in getting 20 million HUF (approx. $60,000) from two “sharks”! In her pitch, Dóri also talked about her experience participating in two exchange programs in the U.S., Youth Leadership Program with Central Europe (YLPCE) and Young Transatlantic Innovation Leaders Initiative (YTILI), which inspired her to create and perfect her product. Hers is a great example of the incredible power of exchange programs and the immense opportunities they provide. Watch Dori’s pitch and the entire episode here.

Are you interested in applying? Watch Anna Tóth, E-Com Entrepreneur at The Millennial Women Network and Reliable Education, YTILI 2017 alumna, give tips in this video about how to write a winning application.

Apply at https://ytili.org/