Louis Soares

Louis Soares is the Chief Learning and Innovation Officer at the American Council on Education (ACE). Soares is a sought-after speaker and commentator on federal and state policy and is a contributor to CNBC, The Chronicle of Higher Education, and Inside Higher Education.

At ACE, Soares incubates and scales ACE’s executive leadership networks, as well as catalyzes compelling research and innovation initiatives across the Council. Working with colleagues, Soares integrates the work of ACE’s leadership, research and innovation teams to optimize membership value for colleges and universities by developing programs and services to advance the success of senior leaders, diversify the executive talent pipeline and facilitate partnerships to enhance institutional performance.

Soares’ previous works as vice president for policy research and strategy and vice president for strategy, research and advancement for ACE.

With more than 20 years of experience in postsecondary education policy and practice, Soares is an accomplished policy analyst and thought leader on emerging trends in higher education. While at ACE he published two landmark papers, "Post-Traditional Learners and the Transformation of Higher Education" and "Evolving Higher Education Business Models," that advanced the public dialogue on adult student needs and the acceptance of innovative education delivery models.

Soares has developed and successfully implemented innovative education/training programs for and, in collaboration with, college, university and employer partners for frontline workers, business executives and higher education administrators. These innovative projects garnered support from: Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Lumina Foundation, Russell Sage Foundation, TIAA Institute, ACT, Verizon Foundation, Fleet Bank, CVS, Bank of America, U.S. Department of Education, and U.S. Department of Labor.

Prior to coming 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. Prior to CAP, he served as director of business/workforce development under Rhode Island Governor Donald L. Carcieri and as director of education partnerships for the Rhode Island Technology Council.

Soares was appointed by Secretary of Education Arne Duncan to serve on the National Board of the Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education in 2011-14.

He holds a master’s in public administration from Harvard University (MA) and a bachelor’s in business economics from Brown University (RI). ​​​​​​​​​​​​