Zoe Saphir

Community Investment Partnership Lead

Zoe Saphir is the Community Investment Partnership Lead at Pritzker Traubert Foundation. Born and raised on Chicago’s South Side in the North Kenwood/Bronzeville area, she brings both personal connection and professional expertise to advancing economic development in the city’s historically disinvested communities.

Before joining the Foundation, Zoe served as Senior Manager of Community Impact & Business Development at World Business Chicago, where she led cross-sector programs to address systemic barriers to economic participation. She contributed to the Invest South/West (ISW) initiative while independently launching efforts such as the Small Business Tech Symposium and the Chi Capital Accelerator. Her work included conducting comprehensive site selection analyses, forging strategic partnerships with Fortune 500 companies and community organizations, and deploying data-driven outreach strategies that significantly increased participation in underserved neighborhoods.

Zoe is guided by the belief that true economic equity goes beyond access to resources—it requires fostering environments where individuals and communities can shape, influence, and fully participate in economic systems. Her approach combines data-informed decision-making with community-centered relationship building to support lasting wealth creation on Chicago’s South and West sides.

She holds a B.A. in Political Science with a focus on Business and Economics from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

Outside of work, Zoe enjoys Chicago’s lakefront beaches, exploring the outdoors with her giant schnauzer, playing in local soccer leagues, and adventuring with family and friends.