Imhotep Simba

Imhotep Simba was born and raised in Baltimore, Maryland, and graduated cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts in Global Studies from Coppin State University, a Historically Black College and University.

Imhotep served as an Urban Youth Development Volunteer in Ecuador with the Peace Corps from 2017 to 2019, implementing life skill and leadership development programs in collaboration with the Patronato San José Quito. During his tenure with DAI, he supported the implementation of the U.S. Agency for International Development's (USAID) Feed the Future Zambia Seed Trade Project, USAID's Uganda Feed the Future Inclusive Agricultural Markets Activity, and DAI’s Racial and Social Justice Initiative.

As a 2024 Thomas R. Pickering Foreign Affairs Graduate Fellow, Imhotep will pursue a career at the U.S. Department of State as a U.S. Diplomat upon completing the Global Human Development Program.

Imhotep is proficient in Spanish.

Summer internship

This summer, I interned with the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of African Affairs, Office of Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs (AF/PDPA)—the primary liaison for Public Diplomacy Officers at U.S. Embassies in Africa, department leadership, and other internal and external stakeholders. My work included revising AF’s section of the 2025 Comprehensive Annual Report on Public Diplomacy and International Broadcasting and drafting “Freedom of Speech” and “America 250” playbooks to guide AF posts in countering adversarial narratives and highlighting U.S. achievements, such as the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), which has provided Sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries duty-free access to the U.S. market for 25 years. In 2023, U.S. imports from SSA countries totaled $29.3 billion. The highlight of my internship was joining the Mandela Washington Fellows at the University of Delaware as they shared lessons learned on leadership in civic engagement from across the United States.