Teresa Clarke was the first Black woman to make Managing Director in investment banking at Goldman Sachs. Besides deals, she led their Africa–Aspen Program for African public- and private-sector emerging leaders. She retired from Goldman and founded Africa.com, a platform with various digital media that reshape perceptions of the continent.

In 2000, Clarke founded the Student Sponsorship Programme (SSP) South Africa, with financial support from HBS’s dean, faculty, and alumni. SSP expands access to high-quality secondary education and provides mentorship for academically talented black students from underserved communities.  Over 25 years, SSP has funded over 1,500 students with over $20 million, having a significant impact on South Africa’s current leadership and its leadership pipeline.

Clarke has served Harvard in myriad ways including serving on the boards of the HBS Alumni Association, and the HBS Digital, Data and Design Institute (soon to be renamed Harvard AI & Business), and chaired the board of the Episcopal Chaplaincy at Harvard.  She was recognized with an award from the Harvard Black Alumni Society for her contribution to their work.  Beyond the university, her current board service includes chairing the board of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African Art and serving Human Rights Watch’s Africa Advisory Committee.

Fun Fact: Black Entertainment TV (BET) featured her on Black Girls Rock! with their “Shot Caller” award.

Clarke told Harvard Magazine she will bring valuable skills to the Overseer role: “I engage daily with questions of global talent flows, innovation, and the role of institutions in fostering opportunity across borders. Those insights bear directly on Harvard’s ability to remain a magnet for the world’s best students and scholars.”