Louis Soares

The Soares Group was founded by Louis Soares. He is an accomplished thought leader, innovator and consultant, operating across economic and workforce development and higher education, with a focus on the success of working adults. He has over 20+ years senior leadership experience in dynamic non-profit, membership and public organizations driving strategy and performance through inclusive teams and a forward-looking vision. 

Areas of expertise include:  adult learner trends, continuing education, workforce development, scaling online learning, credit for prior learning, competency based education, experiential learning and business and college partnerships.

He is the author of many papers on education innovation for working adults including: Learning by Doing: Mapping Jobs, Experience and Ecosystems for Working Learners, Post-Traditional Learners and the Transformation of Higher Education: A Manifesto for College Leaders, The Power of Education-Industry Partnerships and Working Learners, which advanced the public dialogue, policies and practice on adult student needs, education and workplace collaboration, technology use in education and the acceptance of innovative education delivery models. 

Most recently, Soares served as Chief Learning and Innovation Officer for the American Council on Education (ACE)- the nation's largest and most influential college and university membership organization. In this role, Soares incubated and scaled ACE's executive leadership networks, as well as catalyzed compelling research, professional learning and innovation initiatives across the Council. 

Prior to ACE, Soares served as the Director of the Postsecondary Education Program and fellow at the Center for American Progress (CAP), a premier Washington DC-based think tank, and also as Director of Business and Workforce Development under Rhode Island Governor Donald L. Carcieri.

Soares serves on the advisory board for the Community College of the Navy and the Board of College Unbound, an innovative student-driven liberal arts institution. He was appointed by Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan, to serve on the National Board of the Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education from 2011-2014. 

Soares holds a Master Degree in Public Administration from Harvard University and a Bachelor Degree in Business Economics from Brown University.