CEO & Founder

The founder of Women of Color in Leadership, driven by a deep commitment to supporting her community. With over 19 years of experience in nonprofit work, community engagement, and financial wellness education, Shanelle brings a wealth of expertise to her role. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice from Brown College and serves on the Advisory Board for the University of Minnesota State-Mankato. Additionally, she is the Board Chair for We Resolve, a nonprofit organization based in St. Paul, MN.

Shanelle dedicates her time to leading as a mentor, volunteering, and passionately serving others. A native of St. Paul, she values time with family and friends, enjoys traveling, hosting events, and networking. Her mission is to empower, educate, and collaborate with individuals and organizations focused on advocacy and advancing equity.

Chief Financial Officer

A seasoned business owner, a Minnesota native, with over 20 years in the financial industry who's passionate about empowering women leaders, youth and community. Her dedication in helping others extends beyond her coaching practice; Karen is actively involved in non-profit work throughout the cities like Women of Color in Leadership promoting wellness, creativity & restoration.

Chief Operating Officer

Life coach, business coach, minister, and director of housing programs at Agate Housing and Services. She is a graduate of the University of Minnesota with a degree in Social Work, Sociology, and Youth Studies. Kelina's purpose is to support women who have experienced discouragement, disappointment, and low self-esteem while moving forward into life and purpose.

Strategy & Research Officer

The co-founder of Emergent Evaluation Group–a consulting firm that uses a system-based equity approach to help organizations understand the impact of their work and a Manager for Program Innovation and Research at the Minnesota Office of Higher Education for the Get Ready Program. Dr. Deenanath received her Ph.D. in Family Social Science with a Program Evaluation emphasis from the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities and is a Certified Professional Project Manager through the University of St. Thomas. She is passionate about racial equity in education, creating a diverse workforce that is representative of the communities we serve and building wealth for Black, Indigenous, Communities of Color. Her work focuses on college and career access and success, workforce development, immigrant and first-generation college students and families. Her goal is to leverage community expertise to build generational wealth–both tangible and intangible.