Events & Calendars Alumni-in-Residence: Careers in International Development in the Biden Era, with Jesse Corradi '08

Join Jesse Corradi '08, Managing Director for Africa at the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC), to learn about government career paths in international development and better understand the U.S. government's role, interests, and operations pertaining to economic and democratic progress in developing nations.

In this conversation, hosted by the Loeb Center's Alumni-in-Residence Program, Jesse will discuss what international development work looks like "on the ground," the skills needed for a career in this field and how to build them, and the difference between career civil service employees and political appointees.

Jesse Corradi is Managing Director of Africa at the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC), a newly-established U.S. government development finance institution. As such, Jesse oversees DFC’s Africa investment strategy and is responsible for investing in, and mobilizing private capital for, underserved markets across sub-Saharan Africa aligned with U.S. international development and foreign policy priorities. Jesse has led transactions in over 35 countries and oversees a portfolio of $1.4 billion across the financial services, infrastructure, agriculture, energy, and health sectors.

Jesse joined DFC as a core member of the DFC transition team, leading the design and implementation of new origination, underwriting, and transaction execution processes for the agency. Prior to joining DFC, Jesse served as Head of Africa and Product Innovation at USAID’s Development Credit Authority. During his time as a Presidential Management Fellow at USAID, Jesse served at USAID/Guatemala for four months, providing strategic advice and analysis on local municipal finance and capital markets opportunities. He also served as an Investment Fellow at Closed Loop Partners, where he supported the firm’s investment activities, due diligence, and international expansion strategy.

Jesse has also held various positions in foreign policy, national security, impact investing, and private equity at the U.S. Department of Energy, U.S. Department of State, U.S. Senate Committee on Defense Appropriations, 118 Capital, Neuberger Berman, and Lehman Brothers. He served as a U.S. Fulbright Fellow in Hong Kong from 2009-2010 and currently volunteers as Chief Financial Officer for Village X, a nonprofit dedicated to disrupting extreme poverty in rural Africa. Jesse earned a master’s degree in international affairs from Columbia University, where he was awarded a Dean’s Fellow scholarship and served as a member of the International Fellows Program, and a bachelor’s degree in political science with honors from Amherst College.

This Alumni-in-Residence presentation provides a great opportunity to get an inside look at how international development work has evolved over several presidential administrations, including the current one, and what career opportunities are on the horizon for those interested in the field. Bring your questions!

To learn more about the Loeb Center's Alumni-in-Residence Program, visit: https://www.amherst.edu/mm/575486