Ajani Husbands (He/Him)

Ajani Husbands is passionate about finding innovative solutions to complex problems. Ajani received his B.A. in International Relations and minor in African/African-American Studies from Stanford University, his M.A. in International Development from American University, and his J.D. from NYU School of Law. He is a Thomas R. Pickering Foreign Affairs Fellow and a Root-Tilden-Kern Scholar.

Ajani began his career as a U.S. diplomat, where he served in Eritrea, Haiti, Pakistan, and South Sudan, liaising with a wide range of local organizations, artists, activists, and business owners to support foreign policy objectives. After a decade of service, Ajani obtained his law degree, and transitioned to working as a transactional attorney at major law firms, where he advised public companies, private equity firms, and financial institutions on an array of capital market transactions. He also maintained an active pro bono practice representing asylum seekers and providing transactional legal support to nonprofits.

Ajani currently lives in Botswana with his wife and two sons. During the day (in Botswana) he runs both a rum company in South Africa and a Botswana-based nonprofit focused on connecting African startups with financing and other resources. He also enjoys photography, reading africanfuturism, and watching nature shows and PBS Kids with his sons.