The Civic Leaders Story
Why We're Building this Community
Our Founders' Vision
Mariama N'Diaye
Mariama N'Diaye (she/her) is a Senegalese-American designer and innovator. She firmly believes in centering care and equity in everything she does.
In addition to building Civic Leaders, Mariama is the Innovation Team Director for the City of Atlanta working to harness innovative and community-centered solutions to build cleaner, more resilient, and economically thriving Atlantan communities. Previously, she served as Head of Design for MIT GOV/LAB, a Fulbright Scholar researching how city agencies for the City of Milan engaged with immigrant communities, and provided pro-bono consulting to dozens of cities globally.
She holds a dual Master's in City Planning and a Master's in Business Administration from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Mariama has been named a Morningside Academy for Design Fellow, a New Leaders Council Fellow, and a McKinsey Next Generation Women Leader.
Why Civic Leaders?
I have too often felt isolated, burnt out, and seeking community across my roles in the social impact and government sector. Every place I have turned to has prioritized being lectured at over sharing resources. I sought to create a space where we can be the experts, we can lean on each other, and we can center care for ourselves.
Trace Allen
Trace is passionate about building economies that prioritize public and planetary health while promoting shared prosperity and possesses deep experience across climate, entrepreneurship, and economic development.
In addition to building Civic Leaders, Trace is leading national implementation programs supporting households accessing affordable, all-electric energy by switching from fossil fuels. Previously, he founded an accelerator program for startups and small business owners and managed a debt fund providing entrepreneurs with capital access.
He holds a Master's in City Planning, a Master's of Business Administration, and the Sustainability Certificate from MIT. Trace has been named a Trellis(fka GreenBiz) Emerging Leader, Next City Vanguard, and a StartingBloc Fellow.
Why Civic Leaders?
The work of building sustainable, prosperous futures is messy, complex, and non-linear. The burnout and isolation is a lot to manage. In those moments, the antidote for me has always been a community of trust, accountability, and care. This is the platform that we're striving to build at Civic Leaders.