Sevetri Wilson is the Founder and CEO of New Orleans based technology startup Resilia founded in 2015 to revolutionize how nonprofits are created and maintained, and how enterprises scale impact. Wilson led her company to raise the largest venture capital financing received by a female founded tech company in the state of Louisiana and one of the largest rounds raised by an African American female founder.
She was recently named to Inc. magazine's top 100 female founders leading the most innovative companies in America list, Venture Beat's top 10 founders to watch out for in 2019 outside of Silicon Valley, and to PitchBook's 21 Black founders to watch in 2019 list. She is also the founder of Solid Ground Innovations, LLC (SGI), a strategic communications and management firm with offices in Baton Rouge and New Orleans that she founded in 2009.
In 2019, she wrote her first business book "Solid Ground: How I Built a 7- Figure Company at 22 with Zero Capital" which highlights her experience as a first time business owner. Solid Ground was #1 in startup books on Amazon for three consecutive weeks.
Sevetri possesses expertise in strategic communications, brand marketing, technology, public affairs and project management. In her role at Resilia , Sevetri sets the vision for the company, builds and manages the team, and leads the company’s execution against its strategy. Additionally, Sevetri provides strategic oversight for client project execution while facilitating new market entry and client cultivation. Her technical strengths include business development, communications strategy, market analytics and trends, advocacy and community outreach, team building and coaching, process analysis and project management. Some of Sevetri’s clientele over the years have included Fortune 100 and 500 companies, small businesses, government agencies, political figures, and not for profit organizations.
Her work and that of her clients has been featured in the Wall Street Journal, USA Today, The New York Times and CNN. In 2010, Sevetri received the National Nobel Prize for Public Service, The Jefferson Award for advocacy and community outreach for the curriculum design she created for a nonprofit, and was featured in the Senate’s report to the White House on volunteerism in the country. In the same year, Sevetri received a proclamation from New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu, and was further recognized by former U.S. Senator Mary Landrieu. In 2013, Sevetri received Business Woman of the Year from the Louisiana Legislative Women’s Caucus.
SGI, the company Sevetri founded in 2009, has received dozens of accolades and awards, and has been named to the LSU 100: Fastest Growing Tiger Businesses in the world by the university’s Stephenson Entrepreneurship Institute(SEI) for three consecutive years.
In 2016, Sevetri was appointed to Governor John Bel Edwards’ Economic Development Transition team where she worked with 16 other business leaders from across the state to create recommendations for economic growth in the state of Louisiana. In 2017, Sevetri was appointed to Mayor-President Sharon Weston Broome’s transition staff after leading communications in a successful campaign bid for Mayor-President of East Baton Rouge Parish.
Sevetri is heavily involved in the community and serves on the board of directors for UNCFNOLA, Downtown Development District, YWCA, LSU AP Tureaud Black Alumni, and is an active member of New Orleans Chamber of Commerce, New Orleans Black Chamber of Commerce and Alpha Kappa Alpha, Sorority, Inc.
Sevetri received her Masters in History and a dual Bachelors of Science in Mass Communications and History from Louisiana State University. True to her New Orleans roots, Sevetri is an accomplished musician and in her free time enjoys motivational speaking, writing and volunteering with youth to further their interest in technology.