20 Feb HERStory: Sharise Erby
I am a second-generation Phoenician from a very blended family. I am the only girl among four brothers with different sets of parents. That says a lot right there! My parents divorced when I was twelve, and that changed my whole perspective on life; my father was no longer in the home, and that greatly impacted my spirit and my conduct as well.
I’ve had to fight through several social stereotypes, such as being the only person of color in my classrooms or board rooms in my career and being the plus-size girl/woman when there were few examples in the media. I am so glad, however, that I was chosen to face those giants because today I am in a position to meet women right where they are and help them live their best lives. My pain has purpose.
In 2006, I found myself in an emotionally and verbally abusive marriage. I couldn’t understand how I arrived at that point in my life. I was climbing the corporate ladder, a leader in my church and community and yet I would come home to a dark and dysfunctional place. I didn’t feel like I had a safe place to go among other women without being judged because of my outward success co-existing with my internal strife. So, I created a space by hosting the very first Phenomenal Woman Conference and by the end of the day, I realized that I wasn’t alone. There were many other female leaders who were going through adversity. It may not have been an abusive relationship, but it was something. That day a movement was birthed. In 2013, I applied for our 501c3 IRS designation and expanded the name to the Phenomenal Woman Empowerment Network (PWEN), and we have never turned back.
PWEN meets women right where they are and provides underserved women with education, training, relevant skills, and relationships to ensure they are fully equipped to participate in the economy. We have a special superpower of connecting with women who are overlooked and dismissed daily, but we see them and assist these phenomenal women in reaching their next level of success. We are humbled that 257,963 women have benefited from our programs, we have helped 233 women start businesses, we’ve conducted over 300 trainings/events, assisted 25 women in achieving higher education, and awarded $98,250 in collegiate scholarships.
I have several moments that stand out to me but will highlight a young lady we met. She applied for our Carrie J. Scholarship Program to obtain assistance with her college tuition. This amazing young woman and her mother had been homeless most of her life, and she shared that she had never even had her own room. She was steeped in poverty. But one day, during an event, the speaker stated that education was the true way out of poverty, so she took that nugget and ran. When she was accepted into our program, she was taking courses at a local community college in her senior year of high school. She graduated with her Associate’s degree before her high school diploma! We then provided financial assistance and mentorship to assist in her journey of attaining her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees. She has now been accepted into the doctoral program at Arizona State University, and we are so proud of this young woman and can’t wait to see how she takes the world by storm.
About Sharise: A highly driven woman born to break barriers, Sharise L. Erby proves that women are unstoppable when powered by purpose. She’s built her life and career brick by brick, fighting fears, failures, stereotypes, and setbacks to have the success she deserves.
Today, Sharise personifies what it means to ascend above adversity while inspiring countless others to do the same. She is a sought-after empowerment speaker, best-selling author, serial entrepreneur, and community leader. Over ten years ago, Sharise founded PWEN.
Before becoming a full-time entrepreneur, Sharise returned to college to earn her Master of Health Administration and spent 22 years in the healthcare industry ensuring that underserved populations had access to affordable healthcare.
Having honed her expertise for three decades, her work is a testament to what it means to leave an undeniable mark on the world. She has been recognized as a “Woman Rising Up” by Women on a Mission, the recipient of the 2016 Black Wall Street Community Leadership Award, 2019 MOZ Award, and 2019 RSG Businesswoman of the Year. In addition, PWEN received the 2022 Phoenix Award, and most recently, she was awarded the prestigious 2023 MLK “Living the Dream” Award by the City of Phoenix Human Relations Commission.
Sharise is the proud mother of two sons and the Glam-ma to seven amazing glam-babies.
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