Strategic Partnerships & Business Development
Identifying, structuring, and activating the alliances that open markets, unlock resources, and extend an organization's reach.
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Global Strategic Advisory & Partnerships
Relationships move the world. We make them work.
The XLS Group is a global strategic advisory firm helping organizations navigate complexity, cultivate influential partnerships, and translate ambitious ideas into meaningful outcomes.
New York · Panama City · Lagos · Johannesburg
Who We Are
A boutique advisory firm with a global reach.
We work at the intersection of strategic partnerships, global engagement, communications, talent, culture, and social impact. Our clients include multinational corporations, foundations, nonprofit institutions, public-sector organizations, and influential individuals.
We bring the judgment of a larger institution, the agility of an independent firm, and relationships built across the Americas and Africa.
2020Established
8+Countries served
5Advisory practices
Our Expertise
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Five advisory practices
Global Communications & Influence
Shaping how organizations and leaders are understood by the audiences, markets, and decision-makers that matter most.
Learn moreTalent, Creator & Cultural Engagement
Engaging talent, creators, athletes, and cultural voices with integrity, and aligning them authentically with an organization's purpose.
Learn moreSocial Impact & Philanthropic Advisory
Helping foundations, nonprofits, and mission-driven organizations mobilize the partners, champions, and resources behind their goals.
Learn moreExecutive Positioning & Legacy Advisory
Counsel for leaders on the ideas, platforms, and stories that build credibility and endure.
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Selected Experience
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Representative engagements
Creator engagement across two continents
Designed and led a campaign engaging 150 creators across Africa and Asia around a public-interest initiative.
An ambassador-led fundraising model
Developed a strategy for engaging high-profile ambassadors to expand philanthropic reach and support.
Thought leadership and a published voice
Led a personal thought leadership strategy that culminated in a book agreement.
A Cultural Initiative of The XLS Group
Culture is a bridge. Creativity is the currency.
AfreArte is an emerging cultural platform designed to amplify artistic exchange, creative entrepreneurship, and connection between Africa, Latin America, the Caribbean, and the wider global diaspora.
Now in development, AfreArte welcomes conversations with institutions, sponsors, and creative collaborators.
ExhibitionsCollaborationsConvenings
Meet Our Founder
Xiomara Small
Founder & Principal
Xiomara Small is a global strategic advisor, cultural diplomat, and entrepreneur with more than 15 years of experience spanning international partnerships, commercial strategy, strategic communications, and social impact. She serves as Honorary Advisor of Commercial Affairs to Nigeria and South Africa for the Republic of Panama and leads The XLS Group, an independent strategic advisory firm. Her career includes leadership at Global Citizen and collaborations with leading international institutions. Her work connects business, influence, and opportunity across international markets.
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