Mission
Photo: Nikidaimon / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Resolution enhanced with AI.
LaSelle Institute (“LSI”), founded in 2026, is a nonprofit organization dedicated to expanding opportunity in Haiti by funding educational scholarships and equipping aspiring entrepreneurs with the skills to start and grow their businesses.
scholarship fund
In partnership with existing nonprofits, LSI awards merit based scholarships to students pursuing college and vocational study in Haiti, selected through a competitive application process. These scholarships aim to expand access to higher education for promising students and to nurture future leaders committed to Haiti’s development.
Entrepreneurship
In collaboration with local and regional educators, LSI will equip aspiring Haitian entrepreneurs with the practical skills needed to launch and sustain successful businesses in resource-constrained environments. The program will deliver practical, simple and relevant business training tailored to the realities of the program participants. The program will cover core topics, including:
Basic financial literacy, saving and reinvesting, teamwork and collaboration, customer service, sales and marketing, business plan development, community engagement, and using technology where accessible.
LSI will also provide ongoing mentorship and monitoring to support the entrepreneurs. Mentors may include previous program participants who have built successful businesses, thus fostering a culture of peer-to-peer learning and leadership development. The ultimate objective of this initiative is to promote entrepreneurship as a tool to uplift communities and to build a network of mutual support among program participants.