Lesley Lokko is the founder and chair of African Futures Institute. She is also a visiting professor at the Bartlett School of Architecture and University College Dublin. The editor in chief of FOLIO: Journal of Contemporary African Architecture, she edited the book “White Papers, Black Marks: Race, Culture, Architecture.” Lokko curated the 18th International Architecture Biennale at La Biennale di Venezia in 2023. Previously, she was the founder and director of University of Johannesburg’s Graduate School of Architecture from 2014 to 2019. Appointed to the Order of the British Empire in 2023 for services to architecture and education, Lokko’s honors also include the United Kingdom’s RIBA Royal Gold Medal and being named to the 2024 TIME100 list of the world’s 100 most influential people.