Managing Director
MIT-Africa
misti-africa [at] mit.edu / arijaco [at] mit.edu - (617) 258-6020
Ari Jacobovits is an African Affairs strategist and educator focused on the intersection of International Studies and STEM. He serves as the Managing Director of MIT-Africa, connecting MIT students, staff, and faculty to internships, research projects, and teaching & learning opportunities that advance the research, innovation, and education goals of Africa-based organizations. Ari's background is in music, human and economic development, humanitarian affairs, and digital technologies encompassing a variety of business development and operations management roles.
Ari served in the Peace Corps in Kenya, working with a fishermen's collective developing the country's first community-managed marine park. Following his Peace Corps service, he worked with the State Department's Refugee Admissions Program across Africa and in Washington, DC. He previously held business development and operations management roles with Zipcar and Jumia-Tanzania. Ari holds a Masters in International Business with a focus on Development Economics and Strategy from The Fletcher School at Tufts University, and a BA in Journalism and Music from Indiana University, where he studied abroad during his senior year at the University of Cape Town in South Africa.