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Charlotte Ashamu is an expert in international economic development with a 20-year career advancing the creative and cultural industries. She currently serves as a Creative Economy Specialist at Yale University’s Institute for the Preservation of Cultural Heritage, where she leads a global initiative focused on the development of museums and cultural institutions on the African continent. Prior to Yale, she served as the Associate Director of the Smithsonian National Museum of African Art. Previously, she was a Senior Advisor at the African Development Bank (AfDB) and served as a Program Officer at the International Finance Corporation (IFC), the private sector arm of the World Bank, where she managed multi-country programs to foster the growth of youth entrepreneurs and businesses. Charlotte spent the earlier part of her career as an international trade specialist at the Whitaker Group and Abt Associates in Washington, DC. 

Charlotte holds a Master’s of International Affairs from Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs and a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science and African Studies from Wellesley College. A graduate of the Paris Fashion Institute, Charlotte has an extensive portfolio of projects in curating exhibitions and public programs featuring African art and design, and has served as a guest lecturer at the University of Johannesburg’s Faculty of Art, Design and Architecture in South Africa. She was recognized as a Mo Ibrahim Leadership Fellow and an Institute for International Public Policy Fellow and is a Fellow of the International Career Advancement Program held annually at the Aspen Institute. Charlotte serves on the advisory council of the Madeleine Korbel Albright Institute for Global Affairs and on the boards of several organizations in philanthropy, arts and education.