Leila Ahlstrom

Leila Ahlstrom is an accomplished investment director at the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation since December 2019, focusing on East Africa. Previously, Ahlstrom served as an East Africa Investment Officer and Africa Relationship Manager at USAID, managing a portfolio of partial credit guarantees across multiple African countries. A considerable breadth of experience includes roles as a sustainable development consultant for the Baja Project, a research fellow at Equinox Center, and an intern at the Millennium Challenge Corporation, among others. Ahlstrom's earlier career also includes significant legal experience as a senior litigation paralegal at prominent law firms and as director of intellectual property and contracts for Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants. Ahlstrom holds a Master’s degree in International Affairs from UC San Diego and a Bachelor of Arts in History from UC Berkeley, supplemented by coursework in nonprofit fundraising and grant writing.