Women Who Inspire Us: Nancy Youssef on Style, Leadership, and Global Impact.
When you meet Nancy Youssef, you immediately sense a rare blend of warmth, elegance, and conviction. As Chief Business Development Officer and EVP of International at Soles4Souls, Nancy’s work takes her across continents building partnerships that turn excess into opportunity and creating meaningful economic impact around the world.
But long before leading global initiatives in the nonprofit sector, Nancy built her career as an entrepreneur in fashion, founding a plus-size clothing brand rooted in the belief that style should be accessible to every woman.
What we admire most about Nancy isn’t just the impressive scope of her work, it’s the way she moves through life with generosity, curiosity, and impeccable taste.
Whether she’s traveling for work, supporting fellow founders, or spending time with her two sons, Nancy brings an intentional approach to everything she does. Her personal style reflects that same philosophy, thoughtful, effortless, and quietly confident.
In this edition of ABLE’s Women Who Inspire Us series, Nancy shares how entrepreneurship shaped her leadership, where she finds inspiration in fashion and interiors, and the lessons she’s learned about balancing purpose, family, and a life lived well. Let’s get to know Nancy Youssef as a Woman Who Inspires Us.
1. You’ve built a career that moves fluidly between entrepreneurship, global business, and social impact. How has your experience founding a fashion brand shaped the way you approach partnership building and leadership today at Soles4Souls?
NANCY:
Founding my own fashion brand taught me that partnerships aren’t theoretical — they’re survival. When you’re building something from the ground up, you’re sourcing product, pitching retailers, and figuring out how to make things work with limited resources. You learn very quickly that relationships and trust are everything.
That experience shapes both how I build partnerships and how I lead today at Soles4Souls. I understand the pressures brands face because I’ve been on that side of the table, so I’m always looking for the intersection between business value and real impact.
As a leader, that entrepreneurial experience also taught me to stay curious, move quickly, and empower teams to solve problems creatively. When people feel ownership of the mission, that’s when partnerships become more than transactions—they become catalysts for real change.
Product:
2. Your work takes you around the world, yet you always carry a strong sense of personal style. How does fashion, and the pieces you choose to wear, reflect the way you move through the world?
NANCY:
For me, fashion is a reflection of where I am and how I’m moving through the world at that moment. My style is constantly influenced by my surroundings — the cities I’m in, the cultures I’m experiencing, even the energy of the day.
Some days it’s structured and polished for a boardroom, and other days it’s something more relaxed or expressive that reflects the place I’m in. I’ve always seen clothing as a form of storytelling — a way to carry pieces of the world with you and express how you’re feeling in that moment.
3. You inspire us at ABLE and so many women working through our hybrid modern schedules. As a mother of two college-age sons, what has motherhood taught you about leadership and perspective?
NANCY:
Motherhood has probably been my greatest teacher in leadership and perspective. Raising two sons who are now in college has reminded me constantly that you can’t control everything — your role is to guide, support, and trust that the values you’ve instilled will carry them forward.
That mindset shows up in how I lead as well. The best leaders don’t try to have all the answers — they create space for people to grow, make mistakes, and become who they’re meant to be.
Being their mother has also kept me grounded. No matter how big the role or how far I travel, it reminds me what truly matters and keeps everything in perspective.
4. Your home and personal style are known for being both elegant and deeply personal. Where do you draw inspiration when creating spaces or looks that feel uniquely yours?
NANCY:
I draw a lot of inspiration from the places I travel and the cultures I experience. Whether it’s a textile, a piece of art, or a color palette, the things I bring home often carry a memory of where I’ve been and the people I’ve met along the way.
For me, both personal style and the spaces I create are about intentionality. I love when elegance is layered with meaning — pieces that reflect travel, heritage, and moments in time. When those elements come together thoughtfully, that’s what makes something feel truly personal.
5. ABLE celebrates women who lift other women up. Who are the women that have inspired you along your journey : ) and how do you try to pay that forward today?
NANCY:
I’ve been incredibly fortunate to have strong women around me throughout my life and career. First and foremost, the women in my family — my mother, my aunt, and my grandmother — who modeled strength, elegance, and resilience long before I understood how much those qualities would shape me.
Along my professional journey, I’ve also been inspired by women who lead with both confidence and generosity — women who believe there’s room for all of us at the table and aren’t afraid to pull another chair up.
I try to pay that forward by mentoring, opening doors where I can, and reminding other women that their voice and perspective matter. The best leaders I’ve known didn’t just build their own success — they created pathways for others to rise as well.
Time for Rapid Fire! Feel free to give one word answers : )
Carry-on only or checked bag? CARRY-ON!!!
Favorite city to wander? Paris (so cliché but it’s so fabulous!)
Early bird or night owl? Early bird!
What ABLE pieces are you reaching for most often right now? The mini dog tag necklace, that has my boys initials on it and two rings that are a staple daily wear!
Coffee, Match or Tea? Tea and Matcha (although I’m known to spill my matcha all over myself lol:)
Thank you Nancy! :)
