Kyla Denwood is a young professional passionate about increasing private sector engagement in international development and encouraging diverse young people to pursue international careers. She graduated from Tulane University in New Orleans, Louisiana with a BS in Economics and a BA in International Development. She has prior work experience at the nexus of labor, education, social entrepreneurship, and economic development. At Georgetown University's School of Foreign Service, Kyla will pursue an MA in Global Human Development with a focus on international business. She has been fortunate enough to pursue relevant international opportunities in Kenya, Paraguay, the United Kingdom, and the United Arab Emirates.

Kyla recently finished her tenure as a Youth Ambassador at Expo 2020 Dubai, where she represented Illinois and Louisiana as a cultural ambassador at the USA Pavilion. Inspired by her international experiences and quantitative research background, Kyla moved to Washington, D.C. to work in international research and policy analysis at both NORC at the University of Chicago and the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Outside work, Kyla serves as the Vice President for Education and Exchange for the Black Professionals in International Affairs, a non-profit membership association that seeks to increase the involvement of African Americans and other people of African heritage in international affairs. In February 2022, she founded the Youth International Leadership Initiative, a non-profit that seeks to encourage diverse young people from low-income backgrounds and non-coastal areas to pursue international careers and study abroad opportunities.

Kyla completed a summer internship with the Regional Economic Growth Office of USAID/West Africa Regional Mission, based in Accra, Ghana. There, she supported the Trade and Investment team in their closeout of the West Africa Trade and Investment Hub, a 5-year, $116 million trade and investment facilitation activity designed to catalyze private sector productivity and profitability in West Africa. In this role, she also traveled to Togo to liaise with farmers and factory workers and to Cote d'Ivoire to support a congressional staff delegation visit.