Shanel Riley

As an only child raised by my grandmother, I was encouraged to use my imagination freely during the time we spent together. Those early years shaped my creativity. I remember recording old musicals like The King and I on PBS and reenacting scenes from musicals and popular television shows in our living room. Through play, I discovered my love for storytelling and began sharpening my natural abilities in performance and self-expression. In 2020, while the world was on pause, I was apart of a six-episode web series alongside a group of talented creatives. In the spring of 2021, I premiered Day and Night across streaming platforms, serving as executive director, producer, and actress. That experience solidified my commitment to creating meaningful, impactful content. It is important to me to use my life experiences and stories to inspire others-even if it's just one person. I know this is my purpose because every day I find time to do something connected to performing and creating. As Sister Mary Clarence says in Sister Act, "If you wake up in the morning and you can't think of anything but singing, then you're supposed to be a singer." I simply replace "singer" with every passion I pursue-and I pursue them well. One day, you'll find me sitting alongside the greats. Until then, you'll find me producing my own content and uplifting others through theirs. And when I'm not creating, I enjoy investing in real estate, dining at beautiful restaurants, traveling the world, and enjoying the finer things in life.