Connect young innovators with business in need!

Dear Treasured Donors,

Your support over the last few years has fostered phenomenal growth among countless young innovators, working to foster economic growth in third world countries. Moreover, your invaluable contributions have also helped many young leaders enrich their learning with valuable experiences that you have helped make possible. In light of the upcoming holiday season, we would like to take this opportunity to introduce one such team of leaders.

Meet Carter Haak, Ishaan Sandhir, Aaron Pfeiffer, Jack Smalley, and Jonathan Thesing, a team of bright students who have been working tirelessly to make an impact in the impoverished village of Yelwa, Nigeria. Their story began in March 2015, when Carter attended Envision’s National Youth Leadership Forum on National Security, where he had the chance to speak with Leadership Initiatives’ Executive Director Marshall Bailly. 

“Once Marshall told me about the International Business Alliance Program, I was hooked,” says Carter. “I took the chance to jump on this opportunity, not knowing that in just a few short months, it would change my life.”

After accepting a coveted position as a team leader within the International Business Alliance Program, Carter reached out to his friends at his local high school, The Miami Valley School in Dayton, Ohio. Once the team was ready, they were partnered with Hamza Ya’au, a welder in the Yelwa Village in Nigeria; they were tasked with designing solutions to problems facing Hamza’s business - a job they approached with gusto. After analyzing Hamza’s business, the students identified one major area of improvement for NEWco Welders: accounting. Seeing that Hamza lacked a concrete financial management system, the team went to work. Through extensive research and financial analysis, the students were able to create a method for Hamza to track and manage his profits and expenses, allowing him to invest more of his time in expanding his business.

Seeing their solution put to action, the students found the drive to further enhance Hamza’s business - this time through product development. After spending hours at the drawing board, the Miami Valley IBAP team created a new design for a gate - one of Hamza’s main products - that was stronger and more unique than competing designs. As soon as the team’s design was introduced to the Yelwa community, Hamza received a large amount of orders; with their innovative work, these students were able to directly affect a change in the lives of many across the world.

However, the IBAP team’s efforts didn’t stop at Hamza; the students also decided to sponsor a growing phone repair business through fundraising efforts. For the past few months, the students have organized various bake sales and weekly doughnut sales at their local high school. Although they were met with struggles, the team persevered, raising an impressive total of one thousand five hundred dollars for their partner business. Moreover, their hard work has also united their community in support of their cause. 

For more information on the young innovators at Leadership Initiatives, please visit lichange.org. Once again, we are honored by your support and are deeply thankful for your help in empowering the future generations.

Sincerely,

Marshall and the entire Leadership Initiatives Family

Marshall Bailly II
Executive Director
Leadership Initiatives
4410 Massachusetts Ave., NW #236
Washington, DC  20016
(p) 202-465-4796  (f) 202-280-1221
www.LIchange.org