Dr. Nikia Clarke is the Chief Strategy Officer of the San Diego Regional Economic Development Corporation (EDC) and Executive Director of World Trade Center San Diego (WTCSD), an EDC affiliate. She leads strategy and program development for the organization and oversees its economic development, research, talent, and global engagement priorities. Clarke’s background is in global trade and investment strategy, and she brings two decades of experience in global and local economic development across academic, private, and nonprofit sectors. She is a former appointee to the National Investment Advisory Council, a group of senior leaders that advises the administration on foreign direct investment (FDI) policy and strategy. She is also the founder and former Director of OUCAN, an international network of emerging market industry leaders, policymakers, and researchers. In addition, Clarke is a professor at UC San Diego’s School of Global Policy and Strategy and serves on the boards of SDSU’s International Business Program and Innovation District, Lifeline Community Services, the San Diego Innovation Council, the San Diego & Imperial Small Business Development Center Network, and Port Maritime Advisory. Previously, she advised the San Diego STEM Pathways Community and World Design Capital 2024. Clarke holds a BA from Loyola Marymount University, an MPhil from Cambridge University, and a PhD from Oxford University.
