The Young Global Leaders Network Inc

What The Young Global Leaders Network Inc does

The Young Global Leaders Network Inc is an international youth leadership organisation founded in 2014 and headquartered in Accra, Ghana, with a primary legal entity registered in the United Kingdom (Company number 11775356). It serves aspiring young leaders aged 18-45 across more than 25 countries in Africa, Asia, and Europe, with particular focus on Ghana, Nigeria, South Sudan, Sierra Leone, DR Congo, and Ethiopia. The stated cumulative reach since inception is 22,000+ entrepreneurs and leaders supported, 50,000+ youth mentored, and a current membership base of approximately 15,000-15,197 across 12 registered country chapters.

The organisation delivers a portfolio of programmes rather than a unified software product. Core offerings include the annual Young African Leaders Summit in Accra, the NeXGen Leaders Fellowship Programme (a fee-based Geneva immersion offering dual international certifications and UN/CERN visits), the Women Lead Initiative for women's leadership, and the Kickstart Innovation Hub for young entrepreneurs (operated through wholly-owned subsidiary Kickstart Innovation Hub Ltd). Underpinning products include an annual Fellow Membership programme (USD 80-100 per year), an 8-week Online Fellowship Programme, the EMADConnect mentorship matching platform, and the CareerCV Clinic. Technology infrastructure is standard: WordPress websites, a custom membership portal on standard web technologies, Microsoft Teams for online events, and Stripe plus bank transfer for payments. There is no proprietary AI/ML capability.

Revenue is generated through membership dues, fellowship programme fees, summit and masterclass ticket sales, and study tour fees, with member/non-member price discrimination across most offerings. The organisation is founder-led by Emmanuel Addo, holds UN ECOSOC Special Consultative Status granted in 2025, and operates as a privately held NGO with no disclosed institutional investors, funding rounds, or public revenue figures.

Name

The Young Global Leaders Network Inc

Legal name

The Young Global Leaders Network LBG/Inc

Website

https://younggloballeadersnetwork.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

The Young Global Leaders Network Inc is a Ghana-headquartered, UK-registered youth leadership organisation founded in 2014, serving approximately 15,000 members across 25+ countries in Africa, Asia, and Europe through membership, summits, fellowships, and entrepreneurship programmes.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Leadership Development Services

NAICS

Child and Youth Services (62411), Educational Support Services (611710), Civic and Social Organizations (813410)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Youth Leadership, Civic Education & Service-Learning Nonprofits (BPAGADAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Youth Mentoring & Positive Youth Development Nonprofits (BPAGADAD), Mentoring, Coaching, Alumni Networking & Peer Support Platforms (EDAFAMAN)

Keywords

• Youth leadership development
• Professional fellowship programs
• Entrepreneurship training services
• Membership community organization
• Leadership mentoring programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Accra

HQ country

Ghana

HQ region

Africa

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Fellow Membership Fees: Annual dues-paying membership programme for young leaders aged 18-45, providing access to leadership training, mentoring, UN engagement opportunities, study abroad support, and networking. Membership fees range from USD $80-100 per year.
2. Fellowship Programme Fees: The NeXGen Leaders Fellowship Programme generates revenue through programme fees: USD $2,600 for YGLN members and USD $3,000 for non-members. Includes a non-refundable $650 registration fee upon acceptance.
3. Event Registration Fees: Revenue from paid events including the Young African Leaders Summit ($350 for members, $403 for non-members), Certified Young Leader MasterClass Programme ($80 members, $160 non-members), study tours ($1,400 for Malaysia/Singapore programme), and various workshops.
4. Kickstart Entrepreneurship Challenge: Flagship programme providing seed funds and support to young entrepreneurs, funded through programme participation fees and potentially supplemented by sponsorship/partnership contributions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Young Global Leaders Network is an international youth leadership organisation that delivers a portfolio of paid programmes to individuals aged 18–45. Its core offerings are an annual membership programme providing access to leadership training, mentoring and UN engagement opportunities; flagship events such as the Young African Leaders Summit; the NeXGen Leaders Fellowship Programme delivered in Geneva; the Women Lead Initiative for women's empowerment; and the Kickstart Innovation Hub supporting youth entrepreneurship through training and seed funding.

Product overview

The Young Global Leaders Network Inc is an international youth leadership organization offering a portfolio of interconnected programs rather than a unified software product. Its core offerings include the annual Young African Leaders Summit (YALS) as the flagship event platform, the NeXGen Leaders Fellowship Programme providing international certifications in Geneva, the Women Lead Initiative for women's empowerment, and the Kickstart Innovation Hub supporting youth entrepreneurship. The membership program (YGLN Fellow Membership) provides bundled access to an 8-week Online Fellowship Programme, EMADConnect mentorship platform, CareerCV Clinic, and various learning events. Supporting features include recognition programs (Can-Do Woman of the Month, YALS Young Leader of the Month), public lecture series, networking events, and chapter expansion opportunities across 25+ African countries.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Young African Leaders Summit (YALS): Flagship annual summit bringing together young African leaders for networking, skills development, and policy dialogue.
• Kickstart Innovation Hub
• Women Lead Initiative
• NexGen Leaders Fellowship Programme

Products and services

• Young African Leaders Summit (YALS) Annual flagship summit bringing together young African leaders, policymakers, business leaders, and changemakers for dialogue, skills development, and networking. The summit features panel sessions, workshops, mentorship opportunities, and career fairs.
• NeXGen Leaders Fellowship Programme – Geneva Immersion Prestigious international fellowship program conducted in partnership with a Swiss-based institution, offering dual certifications (Certified International Relations Analyst and Certified Change & Leadership Practitioner), UN agency visits, and leadership simulations in Geneva.
• Women Lead Initiative Program creating space for young women to learn, connect and lead through mentoring, leadership training, public speaking opportunities, and visibility for emerging women leaders across Africa and the diaspora.
• Kickstart Innovation Hub Community hub for young entrepreneurs providing mentorship, entrepreneurship training, and seed funding support. Includes the Kickstart Entrepreneurship Challenge flagship program targeting youth aged 18-31.
• YGLN Fellow Membership Annual membership program offering leadership certification, six months of group mentorship, study abroad application support, career CV & LinkedIn clinic, access to UN sessions via ECOSOC status, and discounts on executive education programs.
• CareerCV Clinic Practical CV writing workshop and career support service helping young Africans develop professional resumes, improve employability, and access job board and internship opportunities.
• NextGen Coffee Networking Social One-day informal networking event bringing together young leaders, entrepreneurs and experts for connection and collaboration.
• Distinguished Public Lecture Series Public lecture series addressing youth entrepreneurship, leadership, and involvement in government with topics relevant to Ghana and Africa's economic development.

Quantifiable outcome

• 22,000 aspiring entrepreneurs and leaders directly supported since 2014
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Globara UKcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2025Strategic partnership providing YGLN members structured access to short courses, an international leadership and governance conference, and an intensive executive summer school in the United Kingdom. YGLN members receive priority information, guided application support, and preferential rates for these programmes.
• Switzerland-based International Organisation Partner (UNitar)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Official partnership with Switzerland-based international organisation for the NeXGen Leaders Fellowship Programme. Provides dual international certification, exclusive visits to UN agencies and international organisations in Geneva, and high-level networking with diplomats, scholars, and global leaders.
• United Nations ECOSOCcoreOthers · 1 January 2025YGLN holds Special Consultative Status with the UN Economic and Social Council, enabling youth perspectives from Africa, Asia and Europe to be brought into key UN processes. YGLN can nominate delegates to sessions such as the Commission on the Status of Women, submit written inputs, and collaborate with UN agencies and permanent missions.
• Kickstart Innovation Hub LtdcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Kickstart Entrepreneurship Challenge delivered under Kickstart Innovation Hub Ltd, providing seed funds, coaching, and business development support to young entrepreneurs.
• UN Sustainable Development Goals AlignmentminorOthers · 1 January 2014YGLN upholds principles of the United Nations, African Union and eight Africa Regional Economic Communities (ECOWAS, AMU, CEN-SAD, COMESA, EAC, ECCAS, IGAD and SADC). Focus on SDG alignment including SDG 1, 4, 5, 8, 10, and 16.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Broad incumbents

• AIESEC: Global youth-led organization focused on leadership development, cross-cultural exchanges, and youth mobilization with a much larger chapter footprint. Comparable as a broad incumbent in the youth leadership training and global mobility category that YGLN also serves.
• Global Shapers Community (World Economic Forum): WEF-affiliated network of city-based youth hubs shaping global, regional, and industry agendas. Comparable to YGLN's chapter model and UN-style policy engagement, but hosted within a much larger institutional framework.

Direct peers

• African Leadership University (ALU): Higher education institution building African leaders via undergraduate and graduate programs plus the ALX tech talent platform. Comparable in mission ('developing African leaders') to YGLN, though focused on formal degree pathways rather than community-based leadership programmes.
• Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI): US State Department initiative investing in the next generation of African leaders through leadership academies, Mandela Washington Fellowship, and regional leadership centers. Operates in the same youth leadership development category as YGLN with significantly larger institutional backing.
• One Young World: Global youth leadership organization running an annual summit, ambassador programmes, and corporate partnerships targeting under-30 leaders. Closely comparable to YGLN's flagship summit-plus-membership model, with broader geographic reach and a much stronger corporate sponsor base.
• African Leadership Academy: Pan-African institution developing young African leaders through secondary, university, and entrepreneurship pathways (including the ALX venture). Directly comparable to YGLN in mission and target demographic of ambitious African youth, though it is more institutionally anchored in formal education.
• Mandela Washington Fellowship (IREX): Flagship US government programme for African youth leadership with a six-week US institute and ongoing networking; comparable to YGLN's NeXGen Fellowship and YALS summit in delivering structured leadership development for selected African cohorts.
• Tony Elumelu Foundation: Africa-wide entrepreneurship and youth empowerment platform running the TEF Entrepreneurship Programme with seed funding, mentoring, and annual summits. Directly comparable to YGLN's Kickstart Innovation Hub and youth entrepreneurship track, but with materially larger funding scale.
• Harambe Entrepreneur Alliance: Network organization mobilizing young African entrepreneurs through partnerships, summits, and funding opportunities. Directly comparable to YGLN's Kickstart Entrepreneurship Challenge and entrepreneurship support track with a similar mission and demographic.

Emerging players

• Enactus: Global non-profit focused on student-led entrepreneurship and social impact projects in 30+ countries. Comparable to YGLN's youth entrepreneurship development model and competitions, though anchored in university chapters rather than a continental African network.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ygl_network
• YouTubeyoutu.be/3DnGaREc-w0
• Facebookfacebook.com/younggloballeadersnetwork
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/young-global-leaders-network
• Instagraminstagram.com/ygl_network

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Young Global Leaders Network Inc