Salima Suswell, Founder & CEO
Salima Suswell is considered one of the nation’s emerging leaders and top strategic thinkers on the local, state and national level. She founded Evolve Solutions, a management consulting firm eleven years ago to address the racial and socio-economic disparities within the black community. ES provides from the ground floor up, political and policy development that positively impacts community engagement outcomes.
Prior to establishing her own consulting firm, Salima worked as a Healthcare Fraud Investigator and Senior Litigation Specialist with the United States Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of Pennsylvania.
Salima is engaged in the political process regionally and nationally where her expertise is sought out for advocacy campaigns and policy initiatives. Salima’s noteworthy contributions include her role as Director for the Philadelphia Eid Coalition, who made history by leading a successful campaign to obtain the recognition of the two Islamic (Eid) Holidays on the academic calendar for Philadelphia Public Schools; her role as Chair of the Muslim American Host Committee for the 2016 Democratic National Convention, held in Philadelphia. Salima serves as an advisor to the Office of Governor Tom Wolf for affairs pertaining to communities of color, women and faith. Salima has also served as an advisor to the Office of Mayor James Kenney for issues pertaining to Muslim Philadelphians.
In 2018, Salima founded the Philadelphia Ramadan & Eid Fund, a nonprofit organization which hosts the annual City Hall Iftar Dinner, Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha holiday celebrations, arts and culture educational programming for youth and families, and advocacy for Muslim students. In 2019, PREF presented its inaugural Ramadan Iftar Dinner at the Please Touch Museum, and the Philadelphia Eid in the Park Festival, which unified over 15,000 community members of diverse backgrounds.
Salima also serves on the Leadership Council for the Philadelphia United Negro College Fund; and in 2020 was appointed by Mayor James Kenney to the Mayor’s Commission for Faith-Based and Interfaith Affairs.
Salima has received distinguished honors and awards from the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, Pennsylvania State Senate, Philadelphia City Council, the Women-UP Organization, City and State Magazine, the Muslim Youth Association, The Philadelphia Public Record, The Philadelphia Inquirer, and the prestigious Faatimah Gamble Legacy Award. In November 2019, Salima was honored by The Philadelphia Inquirer as a Diversity and Inclusion Pioneer.