Carine Vavasseur is deeply passionate about the transformative potential of innovative, customized solutions crafted by entrepreneurs, and she staunchly believes in the collaborative power of co-creation.
With a decade of experience as a dynamic force in entrepreneurial ecosystems, she thrives on fostering environments where champions can flourish.
Currently serving as the Director of Ignite.E, the ecosystem-building arm of Haskè Group (a venture studio and consulting firm).
Carine and her team are dedicated to developing and testing pioneering support programs and methodologies for African entrepreneurs. Their efforts are meticulously documented and shared with Entrepreneurial Support Organizations (ESOs) to facilitate the scaling of these approaches, ultimately aiming to enhance the value delivered to entrepreneurs across Africa.
Previously, Carine’s dedication manifested in several roles: she played a pivotal part in the management team of the pioneering Francophone West African incubator, “CTIC Dakar”; spearheaded customer success and business development at the edtech startup, EDACY; and most recently, served at the government level as Head of Innovation and Ecosystem Building at the Delegation for Rapid Entrepreneurship (DER/fj).
She led the strategic implementation of Senegal’s government intervention as an ecosystem builder, overseeing the deployment of a USD 25 million Innovation Support Fund over five years. Subsequently, she was appointed CEO of Ignite.E, further solidifying her impact in ecosystem development.
Beyond her professional endeavors, Carine remains deeply engaged in her community. She serves as Vice-President of the Senegalese Startups Association, Senstartup, and provides advisory support to initiatives such as goPMF (pan-African), Ukuzola Coliving (Cameroon), and the ESTM School Incubator (Senegal).
An alumna of the 2023 Mandela Washington Fellowship, she actively participates in various national and international capacities as a jury member, speaker, mentor, and coach. In her leisure time, she indulges her passion for painting.
Carine holds a Master’s degree in Trilingual International Management from UPEC Paris 12, a certificate in Public Affairs from Syracuse University (USA), and enjoys expressing her creativity through painting during her free time.
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