Kevin Matinyi was born and raised in Montgomery County, Maryland, to Tanzanian parents. He recently graduated with a B.A. in Political Science from the Colin Powell School for Civic and Global Leadership at The City College of New York. 

Kevin aspires to cultivate a career centered around international arbitration law and diplomacy. His passion for global affairs stems from his personal life experiences. Kevin has lived and studied in three countries: the United States, Tanzania, and Kenya. Additionally, his father is a seasoned Tanzanian diplomat, having previously served as Tanzania’s ambassador to Sweden, and now as Ambassador to Algeria. 

Professionally, Kevin has shown his immense interest in public service and foreign affairs. In 2025, he interned for the New York City Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs, where he worked on immigration policy reform, and conducted outreach to provide migrant communities with access to essential resources. Additionally, Kevin was selected as a Civic Leaders Fellow by the Ronald Reagan Institute, where he received valuable insight and guidance from experienced professionals on sound leadership in a politically diverse climate. 

In the spring of 2026, prior to joining the ILI, Kevin interned for US Senator Chris Van Hollen of Maryland, where he was part of the Senator’s National Security Team, working exclusively on foreign policy initiatives, such as US-NATO relations, US-IndoPacific relations, and US-Africa relations, particularly on the Horn of Africa. 

In his freetime, Kevin enjoys staying active by working out, and playing basketball and soccer. He also has a deep passion for Jazz, as he grew up playing the trumpet. At the ILI, Kevin not only hopes to develop the skills necessary to successfully navigate the legal field, but also to learn about the intricacies of strengthening legal institutions and fostering global legal cooperation, especially as he prepares for law school.