Dr. Sandile Hlatshwayo is an Economist in the Macro-Risk Unit at the International Monetary Fund where she evaluates risks across the Fund’s 189 member countries through crisis prediction modeling, text-based analytics, and strategic foresight activities (e.g. wargaming). Her primary research interest is quantifying the domestic and international consequences of policy uncertainty through the use of machine-learning and natural language processing techniques. Her work has been featured in The Economist, The New York Times, Financial Times, and The Washington Post. She also conducts work on Madagascar and has previously worked on South Africa and Fiji. Outside of her professional obligations, she mentors and advises universities on pipeline programs, sits on the board of Black Professionals in International Affairs, and serves as an inaugural member of the American Economic Association’s Committee on the Status of LGBTQ+ Individuals in the Economics Profession. Prior to her graduate studies, she worked in the private sector at Procter & Gamble in South Africa. Dr. Hlatshwayo holds a Ph.D. in Economics from the University of California, Berkeley, a master’s in policy studies from Stanford University, and a bachelor’s degree in Economics and Political Science from Spelman College