Shalena D.I.V.A. is an author, speaker, and certified master life coach who has shown thousands of women how to discover, invest, value and appreciate their God-given gifts and talents. She grew up in a rough neighborhood in South Philadelphia that was plagued by violence where so many young men were senselessly murdered, including her older brother. She saw first-hand how drugs can destroy communities and families, especially her own.

She observed her father go from being a beautiful black man and loving father to an enraged, drug fueled person who tried to kill her mother one night when she was about four years old. After years of IV drug use, her father became infected with HIV and eventually lost his battle with AIDS. Her stepfather sold drugs throughout most of her childhood which always

put her family directly into harm's way. One time, her stepfather was kidnapped by a rival drug gang right before her eyes. They held her and her little brother at gunpoint during the assault. She was 12 years old and her brother was 3 years old at the time. Eventually her stepfather was taken down by Federal agents and sent to prison for 9 years. This shattered her family life and took a heavy toll upon her little brother.

With so much negativity all around her and the lack of positive role models, Shalena D.I.V.A. could've given up on her dreams of graduating from high school and becoming the first person in her family to attend college. Yet, somewhere deep within she found the courage to hold on to her dreams. She was accepted to the University of Pennsylvania and awarded the Philadelphia Mayor's Scholarship, a four year scholarship. However, she attended Duke University instead where she was awarded The McGaughey Higgins Scholarship, also a four year scholarship. She earned a degree in Political Science and graduated from Duke in 2001.

Upon graduating from Duke, Shalena D.I.V.A. worked for a Fortune 500 company until she left this high paying job in March of 2006. She wanted to put more energy into empowerment writing--her true passion! In May of 2010, after seeing the need for a comprehensive online resource for young women of color, Shalena D.I.V.A. created www.shalenadiva.com, an educational, enlightening, and entertaining website that serves as a platform for women to better their lives and build their businesses. It also addresses issues such as health, self- esteem, mental health, financial literacy, to name a few. She also founded the Shalena D.I.V.A. Corporation in

2010 to provide empowerment products and services.