City of Columbus

Aminata Soko

As Director of the ECDI Women’s Business Center of Central Ohio, Aminata Soko enables socially and economically disadvantaged women, immigrants, and other underrepresented individuals to become financially independent through small business ownership. She and her team help empower entrepreneurs through educational programming, professional business coaching, and access to capital. Aminata’s passion for economic development and sustainable solutions to poverty led her to Columbus to work for ECDI as an AmeriCorps Vista in 2018, when she developed programming to help refugee and immigrant populations establish small businesses. Aminata earned her bachelor’s degree in accounting and her MBA in Sustainable Business Practice from Duquesne University in Pittsburgh. While earning this degree, she served as a consultant to help several corporations implement lasting social and environmental impact initiatives. Aminata has received recognitions including the Ethics and Leadership Award from the Fund for the American Studies and the Spirit Emerging Leader of the Year from Duquesne University. As a native of the African country of Mauritania who speaks three languages and has professional experience in the US, Africa, and Latin America, Aminata considers herself a global ambassador.