Ibrahima S. Soaure
Ibrahima Souare has built a reputation for advocating for economic opportunity and racial equity at the highest levels throughout the City and State of New York. He understands how government policy can adversely affect certain communities and works to provide guidance and support for these communities to thrive.
Ibrahima impacts community and economic development by:
− Creating Impactful Programs – Ibrahima has developed and launched business mentorship, strategic guidance, and technical assistance programs that equipped M/WBEs with the knowledge and resources they needed to succeed.
− Building, Funding, and Leading Partnerships – Across a range of public and private sector partners, Ibrahima strengthens collaborations, develops new sources of funding, and launches programs that enable scalable growth and expansion.
− Championing DE&I – Ibrahima values diversity of thought, opinion, culture,
and social background. He fosters inclusive environments and makes decisions that demonstrate a receptiveness to new ideas and approaches.
In his current role as Executive Director of New York Professional Advisors for Community Entrepreneurs (NYPACE), Ibrahima works to expand and strengthen the organization’s reach through an ecosystem of entrepreneurs, advisors, donors, and collaborators. In 3 months, he launched two new partnerships – a premier entrepreneurship program and a JPMorgan Chase partnership. Under his leadership, NYPACE has become a thought leader with a tangible, impactful presence in New York City.
Previously at Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) NYC, Ibrahima grew direct grant relief during COVID from $1M distributed to 400+ M/WBEs to nearly $4M supporting more than 1,000 BIPOC, women, veteran, and LGBTQ+ small businesses. He advocated for the funding of a network of 16 community-based organizations and managed this network to provide the technical support that resulted in creation or retention of nearly 1,000 jobs across all 5 boroughs.
As Assistant Director of LaGuardia Community College’s Procurement Technical Assistance Center (PTAC), Ibrahima managed a U.S. DoD $70K supplier diversity program to certify more than 100 M/WBEs, incentivize businesses to diversify supplier and vendor contracting, and lead small, minority, veteran, and women-owned businesses to secure $20M+ in government contracts.
At NYS Department of Economic Development / Empire State Development, Ibrahima implemented a M/WBE Mentor Protégé Program that improved contract utilization and addressed barriers to entry for minority and women-owned businesses. He optimized workforce recruitment and training among small business employers as an Account Manager with the NYC Department of Small Business Services / Lower Manhattan Business Solutions. Ibrahima provided technical assistance to M/WBEs pursuing certification, funding, and contracting opportunities as a Business Specialist with South Bronx Overall Economic Development Corporation.
A City & State 2021 NYC 40 Under 40 Rising Star, Coro Leadership of New York participant, and National Urban Fellow, Ibrahima holds an MPA from CUNY Baruch College, Austin Marxe School of Public Affairs and a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from CUNY Lehman College. He previously sat on the board of Sigma Phi Rho Fraternity and served as National PR Officer.