Charlotte Ashamu ’01 Senior Advisor, Yale University’s Institute for the Preservation of Cultural Heritage
Charlotte Ashamu is an expert in international economic development with a 20-year career working to advance entrepreneurship, job creation and creative industry growth. She currently serves as a Senior Advisor 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. Prior to Yale, she served as the Associate Director of the Smithsonian National Museum of African Art and held leadership roles at the African Development Bank (AfDB) and 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 across the African continent. 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 Bachelor’s degree in Political Science and Africana Studies from Wellesley College and a Master’s of International Affairs from Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs. A graduate of the Paris Fashion Institute, Charlotte has an extensive portfolio of projects in curating exhibitions and public programs featuring contemporary 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 boards of several organizations in philanthropy, arts and education.