Global Ties Iowa works to facilitate international exchanges beyond the International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP). For the first time in our organization’s history, we welcomed participants from the Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative Professional Fellows Program (YSEALI PFP) and the Iraqi Young Leaders Exchange Program (ILYEP). These exchange programs are sponsored by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. Both programs focus on cultivating leadership skills and fostering inter-cultural connections, for entrepreneurs and young students respectively.
This fall, we coordinated YSEALI PFP again and added the Young Transatlantic Innovation Leaders Initiative (YTILI) Fellowship Program for the first time. These two programs are professional development programs where finalists are placed with a U.S. organization relevant to their professional experiences and interests. Fellowship placements are individually tailored and take place over the course of four business weeks.
YTILI focuses on strengthening the transatlantic relationship and developing sustainable partnerships between U.S. and European entrepreneurs and innovators. For the Fall 2024 program, Global Ties Iowa helped placed three fellows in eastern Iowa. One fellow was Danielle du Plooy, Founder and Manager at Uppertunity, who was placed with Andre Wright, Founder of Wright House of Fashion.
Danielle was born in South Africa, and currently lives in Dundee, Scotland. Her primary focus is art psychotherapy, therapy that works with trauma and the unconscious using art, movement and creativity. As an entrepreneur, she runs Uppertunity, a Scottish nonprofit working with adults with learning disabilities and autism. Uppertunity provides a range of services and social activities that promote empowerment for individuals and integration into the community, including programs developing cooking & baking and gardening & outdoor skills. Danielle also founded a citywide project called Changemakers and the leadership service provider Determined Dandelions.
Wright House of Fashion, a Global Ties Iowa professional resource partner, is an educational facility for creatives that provides classes and workshops for those who want to learn graphic design, fashion, and marketing. It also coordinates empowering events for the community, such as its recent Empowering and Awakening Series including Leaders, Movers and Shakers, an interactive workshop involving local entrepreneurs and a workshop on the power of vulnerability and resilience, and Community Fridge Kick Off & Upcycling, where Wright House of Fashion recently debuted Iowa City Community Fridge, a structure in its parking lot that is open for donation or pickup of food at any time of the day for those with food insecurity.
Andre began working with Global Ties Iowa this year when he had a conversation with Amy Alice Chastain, Executive Director, about how they can strengthen collaborations. They have since worked on a few projects together, including a screen-printing workshop for the Impact of Exchange exhibit and a workshop with Iraqi and Kurdish students from IYLEP.
Danielle was invited to apply to YTILI and thought it would be a really good experience. She is a strong believer of growing by getting out of one’s comfort zones, learning from others, and not setting any expectations. When asked about how Wright House of Fashion aligns with her professional goals, Danielle said they were “so similar, it’s quite scary,” and expressed that they have shared values in empowerment and vulnerability.
Andre recalls Danielle’s arrival, how she slowly learned about Wright House of Fashion and its operations and took charge of leadership within the first couple of weeks. Andre said that Danielle helped them manage the organization in new ways in terms of programming, coordination, and funding. She also helped them consolidate their vision. “She's helped us think outside of the box when it comes to what our organization offers to Iowa City,” Andre said.
In October, Danielle led Creative Therapy Workshops at Wright House of Fashion as a part of its Empowering and Awakening Series. The activity involved movement, guided meditation, and art activities, aiming to awaken potential through exploring one’s identity or journey. Danielle had also explored other opportunities Iowa City has to offer through art therapy sessions.
At the host city, YTILI fellows were with their host organizations every Monday through Thursday. On Fridays, Global Ties Iowa arranged professional development opportunities for fellows on topic themes, including Incubators & Networking, Social Responsibility in Business, and Innovation/AI. Regarding the Friday programming, Danielle said, “It’s a whole day with lots of communities. It’s networking and seeing how other people work as well, which has been really good.”
Andre emphasized that he made a lifelong friend and can anticipate keeping in touch with Danielle for years to come. “Those relationships can’t be replaced. I can’t say enough about her and our experiences together.” Not only did Andre and Danielle give each other new techniques to utilize in business, but they also support each other’s strengths. Danielle recounted herself reminding Andre of his impact in the local community, and Andre looks forward to supporting Danielle’s endeavors in Scotland.
“Those relationships can’t be replaced. I can’t say enough about her and our experiences together.” - Andre Wright, Founder of Wright House of Fashion
As a part of YTILI and following the U.S. fellowship placement, fellows are eligible to apply for a Reciprocal Exchange Project. "Part of this program is we can then pitch an idea. We can pick any American host that we’ve met,” Danielle said. If accepted, American partners can travel to the YTILI Fellow’s home country and support the design and implementation of a local project.
Eager to continue their partnership, Andre and Danielle applied for a Reciprocal Exchange Project in her home of Dundee, Scotland. The American Fellows will be selected by the end of November. If selected, they will implement their project in spring 2025.
Andre and Danielle’s idea project proposal is to use fashion activism to raise awareness about environmental issues, while also fostering a stronger sense of identity and empowerment in brand creation. Danielle currently uses fashion in her work at Uppertunity, where individuals learn practical skills as they upcycle and sell clothes. “I'm a big advocate of fashion as an identity and fashion for changing the world,” Danielle said. “Artists are being suffocated because they can't put out their designs because of fast fashion. So, we're disempowering by buying those fast fashion clothes. We want to emphasize [buying local].”
On the significance of cultural exchange, Andre said, “Culture is the world's currency, and learning about other people's culture is the best way to grow as a human being and to truly understand humanity and to truly.”
“We have to challenge our perceptions quite regularly and experience other things,” Danielle said. “Through conversations, I can get more of an understanding. I can build empathy. It can then help me respond better to others.”
When asked about other Iowa City businesses considering collaboration with international visitors, Andre said, if given the opportunity, “to run at the opportunity with open arms.” He mentioned benefits of obtaining a diverse mindset, diverse ideas, and new opportunities for local organizations to grow in unprecedented ways.
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