2022 Young Leaders Program

September 26, 2022

The French-American Foundation will host the 2022 Young Leaders Program in Austin, TX from Wednesday, October 26th through Saturday, October 29th, 2022. The following Young Leaders classes will be welcomed in Austin: US Young Leaders 2020 and 2022, and French Young Leaders 2021 and 2022.

The Young Leaders program brings together high-potential and emerging leaders aged 30–40 from France and the United States for a week of intensive discussion around issues of critical concern in both countries. This year’s program will focus on the theme of Entrepreneurship and the Innovation Economy. Time will be dedicated to covering a range of topics, including but not limited to: the practical and social dynamics behind launching new businesses; economic policies that support growth and strengthen communities; the intersection of entrepreneurship and sustainability; how leadership is evolving amid global challenges, namely the Russia-Ukraine war and its impact on human rights and energy policy and security. The goal, as always, is for participants to leave informed and engaged, and to generate though-provoking conversations among Young Leaders themselves.

About the Young Leaders Program

Now in its 41st year, the Young Leaders program is a joint effort with our sister organization, the French-American Foundation–France. The Young Leaders program convenes a vibrant and highly selective group of French and American professionals who are between 30 to 40 years old and hail from a wide array of sectors, whose common link is their demonstrated leadership and their passion for forging bonds in a globalized world. Young Leaders discuss issues of common concern, reflect on questions of leadership, and get to know one another, all in the name of fostering global understanding.

Participants attend two 5-day meetings over the course of two years, one year in France and one year in the United States. Each year, a group of 40 to 45 Young Leaders, evenly divided between French and American participants, convenes to engage with experts and share ideas that affect leaders in all sectors – whether in the private sector, politics, or arts and culture – and develop mutual understanding between the two countries. After two years as Young Leaders, participants join an active community of alumni who attend and organize events, use the network to develop professionally, and maintain ties across the Atlantic. In other words, we develop a corps of citizen diplomats who cut through official channels to exchange ideas and create lasting, global ties.

Learn more about the program.