[1] His mother, Uranie Gabriel Fils-Aimé, was the directrice of the Republic of Guatemala Primary School in Petionville.

At a Haiti-related event for student organizers, Fils-Aimé met Marise Piverger; they married in 1980 despite her parents' disapproval, and moved to Miami.

[4] Fils-Aimé later went back to school, completing his bachelor's degree[1] and a Master of Public Administration from Florida International University.

[5] He worked in various administrative positions at Miami-Dade Community College: he was director of placement at the Wolfson campus,[6] and later served as the assistant dean of students.

[5] Around this time, a group of American investors wanted to start a wireless carrier in Haiti, and approached Fils-Aimé to serve as a local partner.

[16] In 2019, Fils-Aimé published an op-ed in the Miami Herald decrying President Jovenel Moïse's responses to the 2018–2019 Haitian protests.