Speakers

Ashley Ndir is a U.S. Foreign Commercial Service Officer with more than a decade of experience advancing U.S. commercial interests across Sub-Saharan Africa. She has lived and worked in more than ten African countries, building deep expertise in trade, investment, infrastructure, and economic development. 

Ashley recently served as the Senior Commercial Liaison to the African Development Bank (AfDB), where she represents the U.S. Department of Commerce as a key member of the Office of the U.S. Executive Director. From 2022 to 2026, she led U.S. commercial engagement with the Bank, helping position American companies to compete for procurement and financing opportunities across the AfDB's approximately $12 billion annual investment portfolio spanning all 54 African member countries. She also worked closely with U.S. and international stakeholders to advance institutional policies that strengthen market access and competitiveness for U.S. firms.

Prior to joining the U.S. Commercial Service, Ashley managed strategic partnerships for the U.S. Energy Association's Power Africa initiative, where she cultivated collaborations among government agencies, development finance institutions, and private-sector partners to expand energy access and investment across the continent. She began her career as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Cameroon, an experience that sparked her enduring commitment to Africa's economic development and U.S.-Africa commercial engagement. 

Ashley holds a Master of Science in Foreign Service from Georgetown University's School of Foreign Service, specializing in Global Human Development. She earned her bachelor's degree in economics and business from Colorado College.