Teresa Clarke
Teresa Hillary Clarke | |
|---|---|
| Born | February 8, 1963 California, United States |
| Occupation(s) | Entrepreneur, investment banker |
| Years active | 1989–present |
| Known for | Managing director at Goldman Sachs; co-founder of Student Sponsorship Programme South Africa; principal funder and leader of Africa.com |
Teresa Hillary Clarke (born February 8, 1963) is an American entrepreneur and investment banker. She previously served as a managing director at Goldman Sachs and co-established the Student Sponsorship Programme, a South African non-profit organization dedicated to scholarships and mentorship. Since 2010, Clarke has been the principal funder and leader of Africa.com.
Early life and education
Clarke was born and grew up in California. Her mother, Dr. Audrey Clarke, held the position of superintendent of schools in Lynwood, California, before transitioning to an academic role at California State University.
She obtained her bachelor's degree in economics from Harvard College (1980–1984), followed by earning both an MBA from Harvard Business School and a J.D. from Harvard Law School in 1989. Clarke has contributed her expertise as a board member for organizations such as Southern Africa Legal Services, the Tony Elumelu Foundation, the Opportunity Agenda, and the Student Sponsorship Programme South Africa.
Early career
In August 1989, Clarke began her career at Goldman Sachs in New York as an associate within the real estate division. After six years in investment banking, she established and directed Abt Associates’ South African branch, a consultancy specializing in public policy. Her client portfolio included Transnet (the parent company of South African Airways), Johnson & Johnson, along with various educational and public health institutions.
Between 1995 and 2000, Clarke resided in South Africa where she taught corporate finance within the MBA program at Wits Business School.
In 1999, she co-launched the Student Sponsorship Programme South Africa (SSP) based in Johannesburg, which offers scholarships and mentorship to academically gifted students facing financial hardship. The initiative has granted over $10 million in scholarships to upwards of 1,000 students, with nearly 90% successfully completing the program and gaining university admission.
Clarke rejoined Goldman Sachs from 2004 until 2010, playing a key role in establishing the Global Markets Institute before overseeing mergers and acquisitions as well as corporate finance services for Fortune 500 firms across the US and Europe. Additionally, she managed the GS Africa Aspen Program—an initiative focused on cultivating leadership among emerging African leaders in collaboration with the Aspen Institute.
Africa.com
On February 12, 2010, Clarke departed a 12-year tenure at Goldman Sachs to dedicate herself fully to Africa.com. She revitalized the platform aiming to revolutionize global digital interaction with Africa by creating an engaging information resource. Having owned the Africa.com domain for roughly ten years prior, Clarke envisioned it as a comprehensive source featuring financial market insights and updates on education across Africa, supported by a carefully selected team.
Her expertise on African affairs has been acknowledged at forums such as the World Economic Forum events in Africa and India, the Milken Institute conferences, and the Fortune/Time/CNN Global Forum. In 2008, she received South Africa’s Freedom Day Award from its consulate and was a speaker at the inaugural African Leadership Network gathering in 2010—an influential assembly for Africans and individuals of African heritage. Clarke has also lectured at prestigious institutions including Oxford, Harvard, Princeton, Yale, Stanford, Tufts, and Wharton.
In November 2010, she was celebrated at BET’s Black Girls Rock! ceremony. Clarke also created Africa Straight Up, a 30-minute documentary produced alongside MTV Africa and TEDTalks that debuted in 2012. This film aired on networks across the US and UK, Dutch television channels, was showcased by The White House during the 2014 United States–Africa Leaders Summit, featured by the Council on Foreign Relations, and served as in-flight entertainment for South African Airways and Arik Airways.
In 2013, Clarke accompanied The White House Traveling Press Corps during President Obama’s visits to Senegal, South Africa, and Tanzania. That same year she delivered a TEDx Talk in London entitled "The Diaspora Divide." In 2014, Harvard Business School highlighted her work through a video titled Making a Difference and profiled her during their celebration of 50 years of women at HBS. She also took part in the Fletcher Inclusive Business Summit hosted at the Rockefeller Foundation's Bellagio Center.
In November 2014, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker appointed Clarke to serve on President Obama's Advisory Council on Doing Business in Africa (PAC-DBIA), where she provided guidance on enhancing commercial relations between the United States and African nations.
In May 2020, Clarke spearheaded Africa.com's Crisis Management webinar series focusing on African women leaders navigating challenges during COVID-19. The panel featured distinguished participants such as former South African Deputy President Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka and Anne Juuko, CEO of Stanbic Bank Uganda.
Fluent in Spanish, French, and Portuguese, Clarke is also a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. Her accolades include South Africa's Freedom Day Award; Education Africa’s Humanitarian Award; Merrill Lynch/Africa 2.0 Business Leadership Award; International Women's Society Humanitarian of the Year; Malcolm X and Dr. Betty Shabazz Educational Leadership Award; Girl Scouts of Connecticut Woman of Achievement; along with recognition as one of The Network Journal’s top 25 Women in Business.
Personal life
Clarke has been married twice. Her second wedding took place on August 4, 2007, at Martha's Vineyard, where she wed Dr. John Edward Ellis, who serves as a professor specializing in anesthesiology and critical care at the Pritzker School of Medicine of the University of Chicago.