100K Strong in the Americas: Celebrating Impact, Advancing Alliances

 

 

San Diego, CA / Bogotá, Colombia — In a month marked by global cooperation and educational diplomacy, the 100,000 Strong in the Americas Innovation Fund (100K Strong) spotlighted its decade-long impact and launched new partnerships focused on sustainability and regional innovation. 

At the NAFSA 2025 Annual Conference & Expo held in San Diego, over 8,000 international education professionals gathered to discuss the future of global learning. Among the standout contributors was the 100K Strong team, which presented compelling data and longitudinal outcomes from more than a decade of advancing academic exchange across the Western Hemisphere. Their presentation showcased the real-world impact of binational academic partnerships, including student mobility, capacity building, and institutional collaboration across the Americas. 

Beyond the metrics, 100K offered human-centered stories of transformation, illustrating how small grants have led to lasting change for communities and institutions alike. The team also co-hosted a special networking reception alongside the Conference of the Americas on International Education (CAIE) to celebrate the 100K–CAIE partnership. The event also served as a platform to promote the 2025 CAIE Conference in San José, Costa Rica, scheduled for October 15–17, and to preview the launch of new 100K grant competitions focused on Central America and the Caribbean this fall. 

Just weeks later, on June 9 in Bogotá, Colombia, 100K Strong joined forces with Fundación Santo Domingo (FSD), Grupo Energía Bogotá (GEB), and the Colombia-USA WEF Nexus Alliance to host an in-person event aimed at catalyzing academic exchange and sustainable innovation. The convening brought together over 100 representatives from higher education institutions (HEIs), student groups, researchers, and private sector stakeholders to promote collaboration in addressing critical challenges in water, energy, and food systems. 

The event highlighted innovative projects funded through the 2023 100K Colombia-U.S. Grant Competition, with a focus on energy transition, cacao innovation, and sustainable development. From the lush Coffee Region to the strategic corridors of Piedemonte Llanero and Atlántico, the initiatives on display addressed complex local problems—from clean production and integrated water management to rural entrepreneurship and climate resilience.