Salimatou Balde: Gifted with Purpose
In a quiet corner of a bustling world, where speed often drowns out sincerity, a soft yet unwavering voice is shaping something extraordinary. Salimatou Baldé didn’t set out to build a brand she set out to heal, to guide, and to empower. The seeds of her movement were sown not in boardrooms, but in the lived reality of a young girl navigating childhood chronic illness with more questions than answers.
From those intimate battles grew a vision clear, grounded, and deeply human. Today, as the Founder and CEO of gifted. Salimatou leads a sanctuary for young minds searching for direc- tion in a noisy world. But gifted. is more than a center it’s a safe haven where potential is nurtured, confidence is cultivated, and leader- ship is learned through the lens of lived experience.
Salimatou’s path to leadership wasn’t paved in theory. It was carved through a decade of humanitarian work, countless personal trials, and a relentless belief in the strength of youth. Her story is one of transformation—where wounds became wisdom, and struggle gave way to strategy. With each coaching session, every leadership program, and her powerful book Shard. – Wounds to Warrior, she extends a hand to others climbing their own steep hills.
What she’s building isn’t just an organization it’s a legacy. A movement where young people learn not just to rise, but to rise with intention and with heart. Salimatou Baldé is not leading from the top she’s leading from beside, behind, and within. And in doing so, she’s changing everything.
Journey from Pain to Purpose
Salimatou’s journey began around a round, wooden table in a humble French apartment, where the warmth of home-cooked meals mingled with the rhythm of poetry and books. As the eldest of four siblings and the first in her family to navigate European education, she quickly learned the weight of responsibility and the power of perseverance.
At six years old, her life took an unexpected turn with a diagnosis of Sickle Cell Disease, a genetic condition that introduced her to pain and resilience in equal measure. While her peers embraced carefree childhoods, Salimatou became adept at moving between two worlds: one filled with friends, schoolwork, and laugh- ter, and another shadowed by hospital visits, emergency rooms, and the quiet endurance of chronic illness. She often described it as “living like a secret agent,” masking the pain while still showing up with joy.
The early loss of her father added another layer of hardship, becoming both a sorrow and a turning point. Yet, she didn’t retreat. Instead, Salimatou channeled her grief into growth, choosing to meet adversity with action. She began consciously cultivating her core strengths resilience, focus, and a strong inner compass—and set out to transform her personal trials into a platform for empowerment.
Through every challenge, Salimatou made the effort not only to survive but to shape her story into a source of strength—for herself and eventually, for countless others.
From Groundwork to Greatness
Salimatou’s journey into transformative education wasn’t only sparked by titles or prestigious institu- tions—it was built from the ground up, forged in real-world experiences that demanded empathy, resilience, and vision. Though she would go on to earn a Master in Corporate Communication from IE Business School in Spain and walk the influential corridors of the United Nations in New York, her most powerful education also came from years of showing up where it mattered most.
For over 14 years, Salimatou devoted herself to working directly with people society often overlooks—women immigrant navigating displacement, children in community centers. survivors of abuse, and students burdened by silent battles. In shelters, community centers, and classrooms, she listened, supported, and advocated. These weren’t volunteer hours on a résumé; they were moments of deep connec- tion that reshaped her understanding of leadership.
Out of these lived experiences grew a power- ful vision: to create an environment where young people could rebuild their confidence, reclaim their narratives, and rise as change- makers in their own communities. That vision first took shape in 2013, not as a business plan but as a personal vow made during an AIESEC youth conference to build a space where leadership began from within.
What began as a promise became a calling. Through years of dedication, reflection, and action, Salimatou laid the foundation for gifted, an educational platform that blends emotional resilience, personal development, and leadership training into a safe, empower- ing experience. Her work today is a direct extension of her journey: a deeply human, strategic, and heart-led movement helping young adults transform adversity into agency.
The Power of Purposeful Alignment
Balancing a high-impact career with personal adversity is never a seamless path but for Salimatou, it has become a deeply intentional practice rooted in self-awareness and growth. Through every twist in her journey be it health setbacks, professional transitions, or moral dilemmas she has come to see challeng- es not as barriers, but as teachers.
What she has learned is that alignment between personal values and professional choices creates clarity. It sharpens focus and helps refine the questions that matter most: What truly drives me? Why does this work matter so deeply to me? These reflections have shaped her into a more grounded and purpose-driven leader.
From job losses to moments of doubt and ethical crossroads, Salimatou has discovered that resilience isn’t just about pushing through it’s about pausing to understand. She has learned that integrity doesn’t waver in hardship; it deepens. That real balance isn’t about perfection, but about living and leading in a way that reflects one’s truest self.
“Balance becomes possible,” she often shares, “when your life and your work are reflections of who you are at your core. Even the hard moments begin to carry meaning when you know your why.”
From Inner Resilience to Entrepreneurial Impact
Though Salimatou’s foundation was built in the nonprofit world, her mindset is undeni- ably entrepreneurial sharp, strategic, and impact-driven. For her, business isn’t just about profit; it’s where creativity meets accountability, and where solutions are measured not only by numbers but by mean- ingful outcomes. Her childhood, shaped by adversity and quick decision-making, laid the groundwork for the agility and resilience she brings to every business endeavor.
Salimatou thrives on the dynamism of entrepreneurship: problem-solving, innova- tion, leadership, and creating real change for clients. She blends intellect with empathy, strategy with soul. Her professional toolkit is as diverse as it is deep an award-winning poet, a trilingual facilitator, a certified coach, a learning and development specialist, and now, a published author.
Her book, Shard. – Wounds to Warrior, tells the story of Nysa, a young girl navigating a fractured, magical world—a metaphor for healing and inner growth. But it’s more than a fantasy novel. It’s a blueprint for transformation, echoing the six stages of Salimatou’s original resilience model now taught through gifted. “The book is more than a story; it’s a guide. A manifesto. A lifeline for anyone who’s ever faced darkness and needed to remember their light,” she explains.
When reflecting on what fuels her success, Salimatou points to vision, tenacity, and optimism. “Optimism isn’t naivety,” she says. “It’s the ability to see possibility where others see barriers. That mindset has carried me forward more times than I can count.”
She speaks just as openly about the challenges. One she continues to work on is the courage to defend her convictions, especially after facing repeated disappointments. “Protecting your voice matters,” she says, “even when it shakes.”
Another lesson she’s learning often with a dose of humor is the art of letting go. “I used to do everything myself, from marketing to SEO,” she laughs. “But now I understand the power of delegation. It’s something every visionary should know: build a village, don’t try to be the village.”
Rising with Purpose
Among Salimatou most remarkable milestones is achieving her dream of working at the United Nations by the age of 25 a feat that speaks to both her vision and her relentless pursuit of meaningful impact. Today, she continues to shape global programs within the UN system, contributing to strategies that uplift communities and drive change on an international scale.
Each of her accomplishments whether earning her degree from IE Business School, publishing Shard. – Wounds to Warrior, or completing rigorous leadership certifications, tells a story of bold ambition rooted in courage. But when asked what she values most, Salimatou is quick to credit her support system. Her greatest success, she insists, lies in the unwavering presence of her family, friends, and mentors the people who’ve helped write every chapter of her journey.
To young professionals navigating today’s ever-evolving world, Salimatou offers guidance that blends insight with inspira- tion. “Be at the forefront of your field,” she advises. “Don’t just do the job go beyond it. Learn complementary skills like languages, communication, coaching, and leadership. Invest in your uniqueness. Don’t wait for direction create it.”
Her guiding mantra, borrowed from Napoleon Hill, is one she’s lived by: “Whatever the mind can conceive, the mind can achieve.” It’s a reminder forged from her own story one marked by storms, setbacks, reinvention, and rising.
As our conversation draws to a close, Salimatou leaves behind more than words she leaves a challenge, and an invitation: “If you’re a young leader, don’t compare your path to anyone else’s. Your journey is your power. Turn your wounds into wisdom, your story into strength. That’s where true leadership begins.”
For those still finding their voice, she points to her novel, Shard. – Wounds to Warrior, as more than a story—it’s a fictional mirror designed to help others reframe their reality. Because if Salimatou’s life proves anything, it’s this: we are not defined by what happens to us, but by how we rise—intentionally, powerfully, and with purpose.
Website: gifted-experiences.com
Amazon Book Page: amazon.com/dp/B0F6NFR5BV
