2025 AACLF Fellows

Read about the 2025 African-American China Leadership Fellows: A. Rudianne Brown, Dionne Holder-Ilmstadt, Kamaria Horton, Mpaza Kwampema, Shakiri Murrain, and Codi Smith, PhD.

A. Rudianne Brown

Ashley Rudianne, known as Rudianne or Ruddy, is the founder of Mandarin On That Beat and an enthusiastic educator passionate about bringing diversity and innovation to Mandarin education. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Asian and Asian American Studies and her Master’s in TESOL Education from Stony Brook University. She also holds a New York State teaching certification in teaching Chinese. Ruddy conducted extensive research in Chinese language education at Xiamen University and has spoken at numerous Chinese language education conferences across mainland China, advocating for more inclusive and engaging learning methods. Her deep connection to China extends to her family—her three children, all born in China, and her wonderful husband, who is also fluent in Mandarin Chinese.

Dionne Holder-Ilmstadt

Dionne Holder is a global brand and business strategist with over 15 years of experience leading cross-cultural teams, building strategic partnerships, and driving brand innovation across Asia and the United States.

Originally from Barbados, she moved to China with a one-way ticket, no knowledge of Mandarin, and no safety net. What she did have was an unshakable belief in her ability to grow and contribute. She went on to graduate from Peking University, earn a master’s degree in Paris, and become the ﬁrst and only Black woman to lead an international brand experience agency in China.

Dionne spent over two decades living and working in China, where she became ﬂuent in Mandarin and led major campaigns for Fortune 500 brands throughout the Asia-Paciﬁc region. Her leadership style is grounded in cultural ﬂuency, empathy, and a deep commitment to delivering meaningful results.

Now based in San Francisco, Dionne brings a global perspective to her work and leads with boldness, inclusion, and optimism. She is deeply committed to purpose-driven leadership and contributing to deeper cross-cultural understanding between China and the United States. Her passion lies in connecting people and ideas to create meaningful impact across sectors and communities.

Kamaria Horton

Kamaria Horton holds a Bachelor’s in Computer Science from Hampton University and a Master’s in Global Affairs from Tsinghua University. She is currently an technical analyst at Rand Corporation and she has technical and research experience from prior work with Microsoft, NASA Langley Research Center, and Microsoft Research Asia. Kamaria is deeply passionate about the intersection of technology, ethics, and global policy, and has contributed to interdisciplinary research and policy discussions related to AI, law enforcement, and cybersecurity. With a track record of leadership, analytical rigor, and collaboration, Kamaria is committed to using technology to solve complex challenges and promote ethical, human-centered innovation through global cooperation.

Mpaza Kwampema

Mpaza Kapembwa is the Political and Economic Section Chief at the U.S. Consulate General in Wuhan, where he leads the team responsible for the full range of reporting covering Central China. Before Wuhan, he served as a Staff Assistant in the Ambassador’s Officer in Beijing and as an American Citizen Services Officer during Covid, assisting U.S. citizens during China’s stringent zero-Covid policy. His first tour was as the General Services Officer in Freetown, Sierra Leone. Mpaza has a bachelor’s degree in Chinese from Williams College and a master’s degree in international relations from the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech).

Shakiri Murrain

Shakiri Murrain is Director of Innovation Solutions at the Russell Innovation Center for Entrepreneurs (RICE), a business generator in the Atlanta area dedicated to helping Black-owned businesses across industries scale domestically as well as internationally. Born in Jackson, Mississippi, Shakiri completed a bachelor’s at Howard University, before pursuing Chinese studies at Nanjing Normal University, and working in mainland China. Upon repatriating, he founded and ran Jade Trading Company for 7 years before joining RICE. Shakiri recently completed a MBA at Syracuse University and focuses on strategic planning and community development while balancing cultural norms and political/economic risks.

Codi Smith, PhD

Codi is a recent graduate of the University of Pennsylvania where they completed a PhD in Social Welfare. With a professional background in fundraising, their research primarily focused on the performance of community foundation giving and the influence of governance structures. Codi’s secondary research is connected to Chinese labor policies, particularly related to government and NGO service gaps among migrant laborers. In early 2025, they conducted fieldwork in Hong Kong examining workplace interventions among foreign domestic workers, made available through the Chinese University of Hong Kong’s PhD IMPAC Award. They also hold a Master of Public Service and Administration and completed a double major in Organizational Communications and East Asian Languages and Cultures as an undergraduate student.

We are grateful to the sponsors of our 2025 AACLF cohort. Without them, this program would not have been possible. We thank our sponsors for their strong, active commitment to increasing diversity, equity, and inclusion.

The American Mandarin Society is dedicated to helping Americans develop and maintain their Chinese language skills, deepen their policy knowledge, and build the professional networks that allow them to engage in the vital work of strengthening U.S. competitiveness.