Going back to school after 40 is not for the faint of heart, and the journey from prison to published researcher is even more challenging. Nevertheless, Dr. V returned to school in 2017, obtaining her BS in Marketing Management, MS in Management and Leadership, Master of Business Administration, and most recently, in 2023, her Doctor of Business Administration in Organizational Leadership.
While some might see four degrees (or even two or three) as excessive, life as a Black woman with a felony says otherwise. The experience of going from having nothing more than a speeding ticket to having a felony was painful to face as a single mother with two small children, and 20 years ago, finding employment with that background seemed impossible. Any source of income was welcome, and Dr. V did everything from stripping to picking up dog poop with just a grocery bag around her hand to make ends meet. However, Dr. V knew that adversity inspires growth, and education leads to greater opportunities.
Inspired by her personal, professional, and educational experiences, Dr. V is now an established keynote speaker and a leader in the organizational leadership and equity space. Her groundbreaking research bridged the gap between work-life balance and social support. Dr. V uses her published research to disrupt and redefine training and enablement programs, resulting in increased performance and revenue within the Mar-Tech space and beyond. Dr. V has made it her mission to rewrite the narrative for marginalized groups in the workplace through innovative and accessible programming, enlightening one unaware mind at a time.