Build Latin America's next generation of leaders!

Dear LALA partners and donors,

As we step into the final quarter of 2025, we take a moment to reflect with gratitude and renewed energy. This is a time of both acceleration and consolidation, launching new initiatives, welcoming fresh partnerships, and celebrating the arrival of new LALíderes who continue to inspire our mission.

With this now-monthly update, we reaffirm our commitment to transparency and accountability by sharing the tangible results of your generous support. A milestone in this effort is our 2024 Annual Report, a comprehensive reflection of the impact we achieved together last year — now available HERE!

Thank you very much for walking with us!

THE LALA TEAM

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1. LALA LATEST LEADERSHIP BOOTCAMP SEASON

.                                   Julia Abreu (Camps Program Manager)

This cycle, 8 Camps (2 in-person, 6 virtual) brought together 289 young leaders. With them, we celebrate a huge milestone: LALA is now a community of over 3,000 LALíderes!

Our Virtual Camps featured incredible guests who inspired our changemakers with their stories and insights. Here are some of them:

• Alfredo Castellanos – Innovation strategist and business development expert with extensive experience in international growth.

• Bruno Gonçalves – Passionate about human development, education, and innovation as catalysts for transformation.

• Bruno Hora – Tech entrepreneur building solutions that merge innovation with social impact.

• Hawwa Muhammad – Founder of Pink Trumpet Consultancy.

• Leila Velez – Founder of Beleza Natural and currently leading the startup Curl Lab.

• Lisiane Lemos – Forbes Under 30, UN-recognized leader, TEDx speaker, and mentor to hundreds of young people.

• Mariana Sanz de Santamaría Franco – Founder of Poderosas Colombia, empowering women and girls to lead change in their communities.

• Michaelyn (Bachhuber) Baur – Global systems thinker working at the intersection of sustainable food systems, regenerative agriculture, gender equity, and climate justice.

• Nathalia Rocha – Director of Morada Comum in Brazil, working to create inclusive spaces of belonging and collective care.

• Thais Monsores – Psychologist and coordinator of the Diversi Games project.

• Thalia Silva – Psychologist and educator, committed to advancing emotional well-being and transformative education.

Our in-person Camps also brought the magic of community life, with unforgettable moments of learning and connection. A highlight was the Impact Dinners — spaces for deep listening, exchange, and genuine connection between young Latin American leaders and individuals from diverse fields. We are especially grateful to Bloomberg for supporting these unforgettable evenings!

Impact Dinner held in partnership with Bloomberg. In the photo: LALíderes from BLB15, the LALA team, Bloomberg representatives, and guests

2. UPDATE ON LALA ECOSYSTEM PROGRAMS

.                               Debora Rebecchi (Emotional Education Program Manager)

Young people in our community have lifelong opportunities for learning and growth after participating in our camps. To meet their diverse dreams and aspirations, our program calendar stays full year-round — offering pathways that nurture both leadership and inner development.

2.1. EMOTIONAL EDUCATION PROGRAM

We are thrilled to highlight our newest initiative: the Emotional Education Program. This experience creates a dedicated space for LALeaders to strengthen their socio-emotional skills, cultivate emotional balance, and engage in guided self-reflection — all through an educational, non-clinical approach. The program empowers youth to better understand themselves and others, equipping them with the emotional tools to lead with empathy and purpose in their schools, communities, and future careers.

In July 2025, the Emotional Education Program once again opened applications for its second season. Not only did we meet our goal, reaching 66 participants (in a season exclusively aimed at Spanish speakers), but by the end of the previous season for Brazilian LAlíderes, we also achieved an NPS score of 100%, with participants stating that they would enthusiastically recommend the program to their peers. Another bonus? The vast majority reported positive changes in their daily behaviors and an enhancement of their emotional well-being.

2.2. UNIVERSITY PLACEMENT PROGRAM

Come August, it was time for the University Placement Program to shine. With the goal of bringing older LALíderes closer to LALA while also supporting others through their learnings and experiences, the Buddy Initiative was created. This initiative allows LALíderes who have had experiences abroad to act as mentors and peers for those currently participating in the UP program. In total, over 30 LALíderes expressed interest and were accepted.

2.3. LALAPRENDIZ, PART OF THE CAREERS PROGRAM

At the end of August, the Careers Program launched the pilot project LALAprendiz, designed to provide structured training—through a carefully crafted curriculum—that prepares young people to join different departments of LALA. The first department selected for this initiative is Camps, where LALíderes eager to serve on staff receive months of training before their learning culminates in hands-on experience at the January 2026 Camps.

This model creates a significant impact: both the In-Person Camps and V-Camps benefit from LALAprendiz’s transformative experience. Over 90% of the Camp staff are LALíderes, many stepping into their first professional role, and all of them receive a development scholarship. In this way, LALAprendiz strengthens the leadership pipeline while multiplying the reach of LALA’s mission.

2.4. MENTORSHIP PROGRAM

In season M9 of the Mentorship Program, we held a Masterclass on the future and its uncertainties, featuring distinguished guests João Abreu (co-founder of ImpulsoGov) and Marina Bragante (City Councilor in São Paulo). In season M10, which we have just kicked off, we already have more than 150 LALíderes enrolled and over 130 mentors.

Want to sign up as a mentor? Click HERE!

3. COUNTRY SPOTLIGHT: UPDATE ON OUR FOOTPRINT IN PERU

.                                 Oriana Torres (Director of Development & Strategic Partnerships)

These past few months, our community in Peru has been buzzing with activity. In June, LALíderes came together for a powerful local meet-up in Lima, proving that the spirit of LALA goes far beyond our Camps. These gatherings are more than just reunions—they are spaces where young leaders find collaborators, motivators, and friends who remind them that they are not alone in their mission to transform Latin America. The “Encuentro de LALíderes en Perú” was a beautiful example of the power of connection, showing how transformation begins in spaces like these.We have also been working to reach and inspire new generations of potential LALíderes. LALA was proudly represented at Cometa Fest 2025, hosted by Intercorp, engaging hundreds of high school students exploring their future paths. In addition, our team joined five vocational fairs at Innova Schools in recent months, and we are excited to share that we will also be present at NAU Fest on October 3, continuing our mission to spark curiosity and plant the seeds of leadership among Peruvian youth.

4. LALA'S CEO AT THE WEF YOUNG GLOBAL LEADERS FORUM

This year, our Co-Founder and President, Diego Ontaneda, was honored with an invitation to join the World Economic Forum’s Young Global Leaders (YGL), a highly selective network of leaders making significant positive contributions to the state of the world.  The event brought together more than 400 leaders and alumni from every region and sector—a true gathering of vision, courage, and collaboration. Diego contributed to the panel on “Leadership in a Connected World”, alongside Himanshu Gupta (Co-Founder & CEO, ClimateAi) and Mark-Alexandre Doumba (Minister of Digital Economy and Innovation, Republic of Gabon). In his own words: “I don’t believe that the arc of the moral universe will by itself bend towards justice. I think we need to actively bend it, and that’s where leadership comes in.”Reflecting on the week, Diego noted how much the experience echoed what LALíderes feel when they join LALA: the discovery that a purpose-driven, trust-rich network is not only possible but already alive in our community. Watch the full conversation HERE!