Event Details: Shalia Ford, Personal Board of Directors

Location: TBD

Today’s leaders need a team of advisors to provide critical information and support at defining moments. In this session, you will gain insights and strategies to curate a network of advisors to guide your professional and personal journey. Sign up to become a member and join this event at miriamstl.org/support/yp

Our Speaker:

Shalia Ford is an architect and curator of transformational experiences. She leverages her gifts to inspire others to discover and pursue their unique calling by equipping individuals to lead where they live, learn, work, play, and worship. With a heart for women and girls, she creates brave spaces for authentic connection, cultivating confidence and building community.

A nonprofit leader with over twenty years of experience, Shalia has held leadership roles with the YWCA Metro St. Louis and the NAACP National Office. She is the director of leadership programs at FOCUS St. Louis and is a principal with GSI Consulting, LLC. Shalia is a lifelong learner committed to becoming the best version of herself. She holds a Master of Business Administration and a Bachelor of Arts in African American Studies.

In her most recent endeavor, Shalia became an international best selling author for the anthology INTENTION: The Deconstructing G.R.I.T. Collection. In her chapter, I Choose Me, she shares a glimpse into her journey from trauma to triumph. She hopes her story will inspire others to remember that your past doesn’t define you, who you are becoming is the joy in the journey, and that you have the power of choice, so choose yourself.

Shalia was recognized by the Small Business Monthly as one of its eight Wonder Women in 2024. In 2023, she received the Exemplary Leadership Award from the National Coalition of 100 Black Women, Inc. Metropolitan St. Louis Chapter. 

Shalia enjoys spending time with her family and friends, reading, shoe shopping, and traveling. She resides in St. Louis County, MO, with her husband, the Rev. Gill Ford, and their son, Isaac.