Kyla Denwood is a young professional passionate about increasing private sector engagement in international affairs and encouraging diverse young people to pursue international careers. She graduated from Tulane University, where she earned a B.S. in economics and a B.A. in international development, with research interests at the nexus of labor, education, social entrepreneurship, and economic development. She has been fortunate enough to pursue relevant opportunities in Kenya, Paraguay, the United Arab Emirates, and New Orleans. Kyla recently finished her tenure as a youth ambassador at Expo 2020 Dubai, where she represented Illinois and Louisiana as a cultural ambassador at the U.S.A. Pavilion. Inspired by her international experiences and quantitative research background, she now works as a research assistant for the Africa Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, focusing on technology and innovation as well as Africa-Europe relations. In February, she started the Youth International Leadership Initiative, a nonprofit that seeks to encourage diverse young people from low-income backgrounds and non-coastal areas to pursue careers in international affairs as well as opportunities to study abroad.

Why GHD?

Kyla chose GHD because the program offers a personalized academic, personal, and professional development experience. From orientation to post-graduation, you know you can rely on the support of the students, faculty, and staff.

Summer Internship

I completed my summer internship with the Regional Economic Growth Office of USAID/West Africa, a regional mission based out of Accra, Ghana which reinforces and supports USAID efforts across 21 countries. There, I supported the Trade and Investment team in their closeout of the West Africa Trade and Investment Hub, a 5-year, $116 million trade and investment facilitation activity designed to catalyze private sector profitability and productivity in West Africa. In this role, I also traveled to Togo to liaise with rice, soy, and flour farmers and factory workers and Cote d'Ivoire to support a congressional staff delegation visit.