Kiratiana Freelon graduated cum laude with a degree in Economics from Harvard University in 2002. While at Harvard, she was the co-executive editor of the Black Guide to Life at Harvard. At the end of her senior year, she was awarded the John H. Finley fellowship for travel around the world. She has traveled to West Africa (Senegal, Gambia, Mali, Guinea-Conakry, Burkina Faso, and Ghana), Brazil, and Paris. Currently, Freelon is working for the Chicago2016, including writing a popular blog that follows the progress of the Chicago bid.