Salima Suswell, Founder & CEO
Salima Suswell is a highly accomplished entrepreneur, political strategist, organizer, and community leader. She has established and continues to expertly guide multiple companies and organizations, all with the underlying goal of enhancing and empowering underserved communities.
Salima is Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Evolve Solutions LLC, an award-winning management consulting firm serving at the intersection of politics and public policy. Evolve has been addressing racial and socio-economic disparities within urban communities through powerful grassroots initiatives since 2010.
In addition, Salima is Founder, President, and Chief Executive Officer of Halal Resource Group, Inc. (HRG), providing Halal Food Services, the Halal Distributor Network, consultation in Halal Certification, and Cultural Competency Consulting and Sensitivity Training Strategies for engaging Muslim Americans, since 2019.
She also founded the Philadelphia Ramadan & Eid Fund in 2018. This nonprofit organization offers educational opportunities, student advocacy, community programming, and shared experiences for children, youth, and families during the Muslim holidays, while celebrating the region’s rich diversity.
In 2023, Salima founded the Black Muslim Leadership Council (BLMC), where she serves as Chief Executive Officer. This national nonprofit organization with a 501(c)(4) arm is dedicated to policy advocacy for urban communities, nonpartisan voter registration and turnout, civic education, and leadership development.
In the State of Pennsylvania, Salima made history in 2017 as the first Muslim woman appointed to the Pennsylvania Governor’s Advisory Commission on Women by Governor Tom Wolf. She was reappointed to this prestigious Commission in 2023 by Governor Josh Shapiro.
In the City of Philadelphia, Salima was appointed by Mayor Jim Kenney in 2020 to the Mayor’s Commission for Faith-Based and Interfaith Affairs. In 2024, she was appointed by Mayor Cherelle Parker to the Mayor’s Commission for Muslim Engagement.
Salima has been recognized with numerous awards and distinguished honors by the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, Pennsylvania State Senate, Philadelphia City Council, Women-UP Organization, Muslim Youth Association, The Philadelphia Public Record, and The Philadelphia Tribune, among others. She was honored by The Philadelphia Inquirer as a Diversity and Inclusion Pioneer in 2019, and named a Faith Leader to Watch in 2022 by the Center for American Progress. In 2023, Salima was presented with the Keeper of the Flame Award by the United Negro College Fund (UNCF), where she serves on the Leadership Council for the organization’s Philadelphia Chapter. In 2024, she received the Impact Award from City & State Pennsylvania magazine, and the Leader in Community Service Award from The Muslim Journal.
Salima is a graduate of Drexel University’s Lebow College of Business. She and her family reside in the suburbs outside of Philadelphia.