The African Creative Economies Initiative (the “ACE Initiative,” or “ACE”), formerly known as the Harvard Africa Music Initiative (“HAMI”), is CSASE’s signature platform established in 2024. Its principal objective is to ensure that Africa’s creative capital remains under the control of Africans and that the continent can retain the immense value generated by its creative industries, including music, film, TV, arts, literature, fashion and sports. ACE will do this by collaborating with key stakeholders on and of the continent to help address the legal, educational and policy needs of the sector - particularly as these industries begin to engage in a meaningful way on the global stage outside of the continent. ACE will leverage the knowledge, experience, expertise, access and influence of Harvard’s African alumni, faculty and students in collaboration with policymakers, regulators, and investors to ensure that the needs and priorities of this dynamic and rapidly growing sector are well-served.
ACE is uniquely well-positioned to partner with the stakeholders of Africa’s creative industries in two key inflection points: (1) when such stakeholders are looking to expand their footprint from their particular region out onto the global stage, and (2) when such stakeholders are responding to foreign expansion of international, extra-regional players into the African market.
In 2024, the ACE Initiative kicked off a slate of initial projects, including:
ACE’s key initiative for 2025 will focus on a Listening Tour of key music markets on the African continent.
Kike Aluko Wahutu
Chair, Advisory Board
Harvard Business School, Harvard Law School, 2019
Associate Attorney, Entertainment & Media Practice, Greenberg Traurig, LL
Kike Aluko Wahutu is an Associate Attorney in the Entertainment Group at Greenberg Traurig, LLP, and Chair of the Advisory Board of the African Creative Economies Initiative. She has expertise in a diverse range of transactions within the entertainment industry, particularly music licensing in connection with digital, film and television, sports and marketing initiatives, as well as the representation of creative talent. She holds a JD/MBA from Harvard Law School and Harvard Business School, and a BA from Stanford University. As a classically trained musician, and with prior experience at the Nigerian Copyright Commission, Spotify, Creative Artists Agency (CAA) and Pandora, Kike brings a variety of valuable perspectives to her practice that provide her with a unique understanding of the creative, strategic, and business issues facing the music industry.
Marvellous Iheukwumere
Advisory Board
Harvard Law School, 2021
Associate Attorney, Mergers & Acquisitions, Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP
Marvellous Iheukwumere is an Associate Attorney in the Mergers & Acquisitions Group at Paul, Weiss, and a member of the Advisory Board of the African Creative Economies Initiative. Marvellous advises corporations and high net-worth individuals in the tech, media, sports and entertainment industries on navigating complex legal and business transactions. A seasoned sports industry professional and former professional track athlete, Marvellous has worked with the NBA, WNBA, Team USA/US Olympic Committee, MLB, Nike, Athletics Federation of Nigeria, among other sports organizations, on strategic global partnerships and campaigns, global event management, player development and professional athlete management, legal and business transactions, and advising on social impact initiatives across Africa.
Marvellous earned her JD from Harvard Law School where she was the President of the Harvard African Law Association, and a BA (magna cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa) from Columbia University. While at Harvard, Marvellous invited and hosted music and sports industry icons such as Tobe Nwigwe, Jidenna, and Kamaru Usman. A native of Aba, Nigeria, Marvellous is passionate about all things Africa, sports, music, fashion, and social impact.
Jacob Omorodion
Advisory Board
Harvard Law School, 2020
Senior Associate at WilmerHale LLP
Jacob Omorodion is a Senior Associate at WilmerHale LLP, based in their Washington DC office, and a member of the Advisory Board of the African Creative Economies Initiative. His legal practice focuses on international arbitration, public international law, and international litigation.
Mr. Omorodion has experience acting on a range of disputes, particularly within the infrastructure, energy, and intellectual property sectors. He has worked under a variety of arbitral rules, including the UNCITRAL, ICC, ICSID, LCIA, BCDR and JAMS rules. He has experience dealing with disputes arising out of Africa, Latin America, the Middle East, East Asia, and Central Asia, among others. His practice also involves international litigation, such as contractual disputes arising out of international partnerships in the entertainment industry.
Mr. Omorodion also maintains an active pro bono practice, including advocacy on behalf of victims of human rights violations. Mr. Omorodion is currently expanding his practice to include art & heritage law, with a particular interest in matters concerning the repatriation of looted and/or wrongfully obtained art.
At Harvard Law School, Mr. Omorodion was President of the Harvard International Arbitration Law Students’ Association (HIALSA), a Class Marshal of the Class of 2020, and a member of the Harvard African Law Association. Prior to Harvard, Mr. Omorodion completed his MSc in Global Governance & Diplomacy at the University of Oxford and his BA in Political Science at McGill University.
Diana Mongare
Planning Team, 2025 Listening Tour
Harvard Business School, 2025
Diana Mongare is a Strategy Consultant at Africa Creative Agency and a Member of the 2025 Listening Tour Planning Team of the African Creative Economies Initiative. With over seven years of experience in investing, strategic advising, and operational leadership, Diana has worked with startups and established businesses across Africa, focusing on creative industries, climate tech, and venture capital. Her career highlights include leading expansion strategies for creative agencies, facilitating investments in media and cultural assets, and managing fundraising efforts. Diana has held roles at BlackRock’s Decarbonization Partners, Future Africa, and LGT Venture Philanthropy, combining financial expertise with a deep understanding of Africa’s creative and entrepreneurial ecosystems.
She holds an MBA from Harvard Business School (expected 2025), where she has engaged with the entertainment and media sectors, including hosting industry icons like Black Coffee. Diana also earned a BSc in Economics and International Studies from the University of Pennsylvania.
Kehinde Odusote
Planning Team, 2025 Listening Tour
Harvard Kennedy School, 2024
Kehinde Odusote is a professional with extensive experience in strategy, operations, and technology. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and African Studies from Emory University and earned dual master’s degrees—an MBA from the Wharton School and an MPA from Harvard Kennedy School. Kehinde began her career in consulting at Ernst & Young, where she worked on transformative growth strategies for clients across industries. She later transitioned to the media and entertainment sector, contributing to innovative projects at Warner Bros. Discovery, Google, and Warner Chappell Music. A passionate advocate for African culture, music and storytelling, Kehinde founded Just African Music (JAM) to showcase African music from all corners of the continent. Her interests span African fiction, poetry, and discovering emerging Afrobeat artists, reflecting her commitment to amplifying voices and stories that resonate globally
Daniel Oyolu
Advisory Board
Harvard Law School, 2021
Associate Legal Counsel, Hopper
Daniel Oyolu is an Associate Legal Counsel at Hopper, where he focuses on B2B travel and financial technology partnerships. He also serves on the Advisory Board of the African Creative Economies Initiative. His work spans technology, alternative dispute resolution, and economic development in emerging markets.
Previously, Daniel was a corporate attorney at Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP, working on transactions across Latin America. At Harvard Law School, he received the Kaufman Pro Bono Service Award for his contributions to negotiation and mediation and was awarded an Orrick Fellows Program grant to research tech entrepreneurship in Côte d'Ivoire and Senegal. He also interned with 300 Entertainment and served as a Teaching Fellow for Harvard’s Cyberlaw Clinic, where he explored the intersection of law, technology, and the creative industries.
A passionate advocate, Daniel has been invited to speak at events hosted by Google, the National Black Pre-Law Conference, the Urban League of Eastern Massachusetts, and the Steve Harvey Show. His work has been featured in Business Insider and the Boston Globe. He holds a degree in Spanish from Bates College and has studied in Spain, Brazil, and Cuba.
Aissata Madina Sylla
Planning Team, 2025 Listening Tour
Harvard Business School, 2023
Associate, Future Leaders Program, Bertelsmann
Aissata Madina Sylla is a business professional with expertise in strategy, operations, and cultural industries. She holds a Bachelor of Commerce from McGill University and an MBA from Harvard Business School. Aissata began her career in fashion retail before joining Uber, where she played a key role in market expansions across Canada, Latin America and Côte d’Ivoire. After her MBA, she joined Bertelsmann’s Future Leaders program, contributing to global projects across publishing (Penguin Random House), music (BMG), and television production (Fremantle & RTL Group). Passionate about storytelling and creativity, Aissata has championed cultural initiatives through her blog Korofolie, dedicated to African culture and history, and as the producer and host of the podcasts Affairage Airways and What Is Love.
Ify White-Thorpe
Planning Team, 2025 Listening Tour
Harvard Law School, 2024
Associate Attorney, Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP
Ifeoma (Ify) White-Thorpe hails from the great state of New Jersey and is of Nigerian and Jamaican descent. She is a recent graduate of Harvard Law School where she served as the President of the “Recording Artists Project at Harvard Law School”, a Pro Bono legal clinic for entertainment clients. Ify also serves as the CEO and founder of KOLO Publishing, an incubator and publishing company dedicated to developing and publishing works written by Black women and girls. Ify served as a Business and Legal Affairs Emerging Talent Associate at Atlantic Records and as a Legal Resident at Roc Nation in 2023. In 2019, Ify was recruited by the CMO of Converse, Inc. to help conceive and spearhead the Converse All Stars Series– an international platform and community providing mentorship and creative opportunities for artists and activists. Ify served as co-chair on the Steering Committee for the Converse All Stars Series and as a Marketing Fellow at Converse from 2019 to 2021. In 2018, a year after being admitted into all Ivy League schools and Stanford, she was recognized by BET as one of the “Great 28” future force African Americans in honor of Black History Month. In 2015, she won the National SELMA Essay and Speech competition hosted by Paramount Pictures. Her award-winning speech and essay on civil rights have been on display in the National Liberty Museum since 2015. She has also received state senate proclamations from New Jersey and Maryland respectively for her academic feats and research. Ify currently works as a corporate lawyer in New York City, focusing on intellectual property matters. In addition to her Harvard Law education, Ify holds degrees from Harvard College in Government and Chemistry.
