Shelmina Abji started with humble beginnings in Tanzania and went from being the first in her family to graduate college to becoming one of the highest ranking women of color at IBM while raising her two children as a single mother since they were 2 and 4. She started her career as a Software Engineer and moved to sales and sales leadership. She has led global teams and delivered over $1B in revenues annually while consistently maintaining high client satisfaction as well as team morale. She was a decision-maker in hiring and promoting hundreds of professionals. During her career, she has mentored hundreds of women and addressed audiences at Grace Hopper conference, Google, NASA, Microsoft, Amazon, Meta, IBM, T-Mobile, Discover Financial Services,American Express, Deltek, Expedia, Boeing, Edward Jones, Assurant, Avalara, Fitch Ratings, Black Women in STEM, Ascend leadership convention, Harvard university and others. In that time, she developed the cornerstones of successful leadership that she believes deeply help anyone with their leadership journey.

Her pillars that lead people to new heights include the ideas that individuals should:

• Create Value: Focus on creating value in the workplace beyond just completing tasks. Help others succeed and become essential to the organization's success‍
• Overcome Barriers: Address internal and external barriers such as fear, self-doubt, and discrimination. Shift beliefs and use empowering responses to challenges.
• Lean Into Authenticity: Embrace your uniqueness and diversity of thought. Bring your authentic self to problem-solving and decision-making processes.
• Build Relevant Competencies: Continuously develop skills and competencies, stepping outside your comfort zone to learn and grow.
• Set Strategic Priorities: Prioritize tasks and projects aligned with your personal and professional goals. Say no to lesser priorities to focus on what truly matters.
• Thrive Personally and Professionally: Balance personal and professional life, prioritize self-care, and view challenges as opportunities for growth in all aspects of life.
• Build Meaningful Relationships: Cultivate relationships with mentors, sponsors, and peers. Seek support and guidance from those who can advocate for your career advancement.

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