Fanta Traore

Senior Associate

2024

I head up the West Africa Office for Investments at Seedstars Africa Ventures. Founders - if you are raising seed to series A financing - visit seedstars-africa.vc to learn more about our fund and visit: https://bit.ly/SAVinvestmentapp

Advisor, former Head of Platform and Portfolio

2024

Lead Mentor

2023

Black Ambition is a bold organization founded by Pharrell Williams that works towards closing the opportunity and wealth gap through entrepreneurship. We invest capital and resources in high-growth startups founded by Black and Latinx entrepreneurs and HBCU students. - Winner, Fast Company's 2021 World Changing Ideas Award for Impact Investing

Investor Accelerator Venture Fellow

2024 - 2024

Dream VC is Africa’s foremost venture capital institute, powered by an active investor network hailing from 40+ countries globally, collectively managing over $6.6bn assets under management. The Investor Accelerator program is a venture capital fellowship focused on helping seasoned senior career professionals pivot into investing, with a keen focus on leadership development.

Editor in Chief

2022 - 2023

Investment Associate

2023 - 2023

Member, Board of Directors

2022 - 2023

Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer

2018 - 2022

Developed operational strategy, organizational culture, and vision. - Managed four full time staff, hired and supported 13 contractors to lead numerous projects while setting project standards - Designed and implemented Sadie Collective business, such as expansion strategy, financial and legal operations - Secured nearly $5 million in funding and in-kind support through grant writing and diversifying revenue - Conceived and successfully led fundraising, marketing, & execution of annual conferences yielding ~1500 members - Manages and brokered at least 20 client relationships across financial services, think tanks and private sector - Launched digital community of economists (tech product) to increase information access, enabling 40% uptake rate - Directed print and in-person media engagement; featured articles in Forbes, Bloomberg, The Economist, Fortune, NPR

Venture Fellow

2022 - 2023

Investor Training Program - Blueprint Investor Track

2022 - 2022

Senior Research Assistant

2019 - 2020

Research Assistant

2018 - 2020