Ahmad Goree is a rising star at the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Dallas/Fort Worth district office, where he has helped many local businesses navigate the federal bureaucracy in search of financial assistance. He was particularly helpful to those seeking loans that became available to small companies devastated by the COVID-19 pandemic.
But Goree’s capacity for leadership went far beyond the borders of business and government in 2019 when he helped start the Muhlaysia Booker Foundation with Stephanie Houston, Muhlaysia Booker’s mother. His efforts across the spheres of business and community service earned him the Fort Worth Business Press’ 2021 Top 100 Emerging Business Leader Award.
Muhlaysia Booker was a 22-year-old transgender woman who, after being involved in a minor car accident, was robbed and held her against her will by a group of men demanding that she pay for the damages immediately. She was attacked and kicked until she lost consciousness before a group of women carried her to safety. A month later, she was found shot to death.
Goree serves as board president of the foundation, which has raised more than $100,000 in pursuing its mission of providing emotional and economic support to help transgender women live a safe, productive and fulfilling life by assisting them with emotional and economic support.
The statistics on violence toward transgender women are alarming and Goree is a driving force in the Muhlaysia Brooker Foundation’s effort to change lives and culture for the better.
During the 2020 elections, Goree worked with several nonprofits and community groups in North Texas to organize a Get Out the Vote rally, which included a caravan to the polls that was covered by several media outlets.
Goree was also an honoree at the Fort Worth Business Press’ 40 Under 40 event in July 2021. He told the Business Press how he found his calling in life.
“I knew I wanted to work in public service, specifically the government when I interned for a Texas congressman,” he said. “There I learned how important legislation was in impacting our communities. Some were good and others were bad. Therefore, I knew I wanted to be in a place where I can have a role in making sure some of the most marginalized communities were not left out.”