The Young Leaders of the Americas Initiative (YLAI) is one of four programs within the Young Leaders Initiatives, as part of the U.S. Government’s commitment to empower young people around the world and ensure they have the tools, skills, and networks to tackle our shared global challenges.
In September 2016, Abbigale Loncke, President of WeLead Caribbean, was one of four Guyanese who participated in the YLAI Fellows Program. She was recognized by President Barack Obama in Lima, Peru for her outstanding work as a young entrepreneur. Following her participation in the exchange, Ms. Loncke had the opportunity to apply for a Reverse Exchange Program, which provides a chance to expand the impact of the YLAI program and fellowship in her home country, Guyana.
Ms. Loncke, with support from U.S. Embassy Georgetown, established WeLead (Women Empowered Leadership) Caribbean and hosted the first women’s conference and mentoring workshop “Empowered Leadership in 2017–Unleash Your Promise and Potential: A Women’s Conference” on April 26th – 28th, 2017. The conference saw in excess of over 100 participants and was highlighted by the US State Department (Meridian) as one of its leading international events for 2017. In 2018, WeLead Caribbean hosted its second conference which saw an attendance of over 200 women from around the Caribbean.
WeLead Caribbean is a Guyanese nonprofit woman-led organization that focuses on the development and empowerment of women in business and philanthropy in Guyana and throughout the Caribbean, through support, mentorship, advocacy, training, conferences, and counselling. Through our partnership with the U.S. State Department and U.S. Embassy in Guyana, WeLead Caribbean has since trained twenty-five (25) women in Region 2, thirty-six (36) women in Region 6, twenty-five (25) in Region 10 and twenty-five (25) in Region 9 under the Academy for Women Entrepreneurs (AWE) program. Participants who were facilitated in the AWE entrepreneurship program were supplemented with localized content, as well as networking and mentorship opportunities. AWE is centered around the online training program, DreamBuilder, developed through a partnership between Arizona State University’s Thunderbird School of Global Management and global copper mining company FreeportMcMoRan.
Abbigale Loncke-Watson is an innovative entrepreneur and the founder of the Loncke Group, a business enterprise consisting of three companies, which she heads as its Chief Executive Officer. Her fastest-growing firm is MBW Energy Support Services, a comprehensive oil and gas service advisory that is an industry-leading authority providing guidance for companies entering the Guyanese energy market.
In 2016, Abbigale was recognized in a speech by U.S. President Barack Obama for her exemplary leadership in the Guyanese business community and for providing employment opportunities to single mothers and young women. As a widely known and celebrated business leader in the country, she sits on the Board of Directors for Women in Energy Guyana and the Young Leaders of the Americas Initiative. Ms. Loncke is also a Director of Sispro Inc., which is a 100% Guyanese women-led energy company committed to community development, social responsibility, and gender and social equity.
In 2017, she launched WeLead Caribbean, a not-for-profit dedicated to the economic and social advancement of Guyanese women. Through its partnership with ExxonMobil, The Nico Consulting Group, and U.S. Embassy in Georgetown, WeLead has trained over 500 Guyanese women and hosted five regional women entrepreneur and empowerment conferences.
Most recently, Abbigale joined Highland Poe, whose portfolio offers professional services in strategic and diversity communications, federal government and regulatory affairs, and investor and capital markets consulting, as a senior member of its leadership with responsibility for its Guyana operations where she is based.
Abbigale is a frequent traveller throughout North America and Europe, promoting entrepreneurism and economic growth in the Caribbean and South America. She holds degrees from the London School of International Business and the Open University.