NASSAU, BAHAMAS – The United States Embassy in Nassau recently spotlighted the third young entrepreneur from the Bahamas who recently participated in the 2020 cohort of the United States Department of State’s Young Leaders Initiative (YLAI) , Janiece Saunders.

This year, the program has temporarily transitioned to a six-week fully virtual exchange due to COVID-19 restrictions. Although the program is not a face-to-face exchange, Saunders still found the program engaging and a rewarding experience.

As the owner of Bee U Nique, Saunders takes pride in providing quality customer service. During the scholarship, she had the opportunity to learn how to create greater social impact through beekeeping and hydroponics and innovative farming practices.

Since the end of the program, Saunders plans to create another hydroponic system for use in a greenhouse and introduce a farmers market and beekeeping workshops to their community.

“My YLAI experience will be unforgettable, since my selection as a finalist in 2019, the virtual transition process in 2021, the partnership with my host organization ‘Follow the Honey’, our opening and closing ceremony, my mentor , the facilitators, as well as getting to know the fellows who were part of the Boston cohort, to the rest of the fellows I met during our program debriefing sessions, ”she said.

“Everyone was open, warm and welcoming and didn’t hesitate to help where they could. I made connections that I never thought possible and learned a lot about myself as a leader and what I can now accomplish not only to improve myself, but also for my community as a whole. together.

“[I am] turn those goals into actions now.

YLAI enables entrepreneurs to strengthen their capacity to launch and advance their entrepreneurial ideas and to effectively contribute to the social and economic development of their communities. The annual YLAI program is open to young entrepreneurs in the Bahamas between the ages of 25 and 35.

For more information, visit https://ylai.state.gov/about-ylai.