Ambassador Robin Sanders

Dr. Robin Renee Sanders, a former senior career U.S. diplomat, is currently CEO of FEEEDS & FE3DS, LLC, which focus on Africa business, investment and trade strategies, particularly in the energy, aviation, ICT, and housing sectors. As a career diplomat, she served twice as U.S. Ambassador (Nigeria and Republic of Congo), and at the National Security Council at the White House. Over the course of her full diplomatic career, Ambassador Sanders had oversight over a combined program budget of nearly $600 million. During her time as U.S. Ambassador to Nigeria and Republic of Congo, Sanders managed 1,000 American, Nigerian and Congolese employees combined, including having oversight of eight U.S. Government agencies. She led negotiations on issues ranging from governance, elections and policy to business, investment and trade on behalf of the U.S. Government. In addition, with her Embassy teams, designed strategic plans; managed U.S. government interagency processes including embassy military programs; and, worked extensively with U.S. companies on a range of key sectors including energy, trade, and banking.   As U.S. Ambassador to Republic of Congo, Dr. Sanders led the U.S. Government team that helped the Congo Government resolve its international debt crisis and created with UNDP one of Congo’s first post-civil war internet training centers for small businesses and entrepreneurs, leading to her receiving the Medal of Honor from the country’s President. Further as a U.S. diplomat, Sanders was awarded six Superior and Meritorious Honor Awards from the U.S. State Department. 

Sanders also served as U.S. Permanent Representative to ECOWAS, the West African governing body for political, economic, and social issues, and in Central Africa, she represented the U.S. Government’s interests at the region’s political, monetary, and economic organization CDEAO. As Africa Director at the National Security Council at the White House, she covered economic, political and conflict issues for Central and East Africa. As CEO of FEEEDS & FE3DS, LLC, Sanders has received numerous awards for her advocacy work with US and Africa small businesses. Her renowned book “The Rise of Africa’s Small Businesses,” has numerous acclaims and is being used as a business text book at a U.S. university. She holds a BA from Hampton University, MA & MS from Ohio University, and a doctorate of science in Information Systems & Communications from Robert Morris University, where she is a Trustee.

As a result of serving as a career U.S. diplomat, Ambassador Sanders has assisted U.S. businesses with negotiations and managed a range of other sensitive foreign policy, operational, and political issues. As an expert in data and information systems Sanders is also a Senior Scientist for the renown Gallup Poll. Sanders has deep expertise in governance, foreign affairs, elections, climate change, SDGs, political risk analysis, Africa private sector and trade, public policy, strategic planning, and also policy communications having been the first director of State Department’s Africa Public Diplomacy Office. She is a member of the USG Africa Trade Council, and served prior as Chairwoman of U.S. EXIM Bank Africa Advisory Council. Her experience with U.S. and Africa small businesses as CEO-FE3DS, LLC has helped these businesses adopt approaches to strategic planning, financing, and new technology uses to accelerate growth, and marketing given her certifications in social media, content marketing, and working knowledge of Amazon Web Services (AWS).  She is on the board of two overseas energy companies.