Fanta Traore
Investor Accelerator Venture Fellow at Dream VC
New Haven, Connecticut
Overview
Work Experience
Investor
2024 - Current
Investor Accelerator Venture Fellow
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.
Head of Platform and Portfolio
2024
Realist Lab is reinventing obsolete corporate models and using innovation to create a more fair future.
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
Editor in Chief
2022 - 2023
YASR is a student and alumni-led publication featuring founders and startups shaping the future of Africa with entrepreneurship.
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
The Sadie Collective is a nonprofit organization that supports black women in economics and related fields.
Venture Fellow
2022 - 2023
Investor Training Program - Blueprint Investor Track
2022 - 2022
Dorm Room Fund is the strongest community of entrepreneurial students in the nation.
Senior Research Assistant
2019 - 2020
Research Assistant
2018 - 2020