Shante Duncan is a successful business owner, consultant, and founder of a non-profit creating safe spaces for women and girls to focus on self-care, community engagement and entrepreneurship. They have provided safe spaces for more than 6,000 women and girls of color through our school-based program the LOVE Project, community healing circles and retreats. In addition, they opened the Joan B. Quinn Safe House, in 2018, to provide housing for women healing from sexual and domestic violence, including sex trafficking.

Shante also formed SMD Consulting in 2011, providing development and consulting services to organizations, businesses and political hopefuls throughout the St. Louis metropolitan area.

In 2024 she was selected by Missouri Democratic Party Chairman Russ Carnahan to serve as the Regional Field Director. Shante was responsible for organizing voters and volunteers throughout the St. Louis region to support Democratic candidates in targeted areas through door-to-door canvassing and phone banking.

Over the years, Shante Duncan has also worked helping other non-profit organizations including Magdalene of St. Louis, the Center for Women in Transition, and as Eastern Regional Outreach Coordinator for SIDS Resources, where she traveled throughout the St. Louis Metropolitan area providing educational presentations and trainings about sudden infant death syndrome, the ABC’s of Safe Sleep, and how to reduce the risk of SIDS.

EDUCATION

•Bachelor of Arts in Mass Communication-University of Missouri- St. Louis (May 2007)
•Dean’s List– 3.5 grade point average out of a possible 4.0 (May 2007)
•Bennett College, Greensboro, North Carolina (August 1999- May 2001)
•Dean’s List- 3.81 grade point average out of a possible 4.0 (December 1999)

ACTIVITIES & HONORS

Shante was recently honored as one of the Fifty Women of Influence by the U.S. Black chambers, Inc. for 2025.

Graduate of the 2017 Black Leaders Advancing Community Change Program, a leadership program designed to provide a safe space for young, promising black leaders to network, share, develop their leadership skills and access needed resources.

Graduate of the 2015 Community Arts Training Institute of the Regional Arts Commission an innovative program centered on the belief that art has the power to be an agent for positive social change. The Annual CAT Institute,
founded in 1997, is a five-month training that fosters successful partnerships between artists of all disciplines, social workers, educators, community and social activists, and policy-makers with the goal of creating relevant arts programs particularly in under-resourced community settings, e.g. neighborhood organizations, social service agencies, development initiatives, and afterschool programs.

Graduate of the Sue Shear for Women in Public Life program at the University of Missouri St. Louis, an intensive 7-day leadership development program designed to inspire civic engagement and encourage women’s public sector leadership.

Freelance writer for Who’s Who in Black St. Louis publication (2009, 2010, 2015) wrote features on some of the most influential African Americans in the St. Louis area, including Judge Jimmie Edwards, TV Anchorwoman Robin Smith and St. Louis City License Collector Michael McMillan, for the national publication “Who’s Who”.

Was also profiled as “The Best, Bold and Brightest” in the 2015 Who’s Who Diversity in Color publication.

Member of the Professional Organization of Women (POW) (2010), whose mission is to “Empower African American Women to Learn Lead & Succeed” is a non-profit organization where members share a vision and commitment to enrich the professional, social and community aspirations of African American women in entry and mid-level management positions. POW
pursues a breadth of community initiatives, networking activities and learning activities as part of its mission.

President of the Board of Directors of Urban Artist Alliance for Child Development, (2010) a non-profit organization created to enhance the social and cultural well being of young people through art-based programs.

Volunteer in Maputo, Mozambique (2006), worked with street children who have been affected by HIV/AIDS. Worked as an English teacher, computer teacher, sex education teacher and self-esteem builder for six months. Created a garden with the children and used the money as a means of assisting the project.

Appointed in February 2025 to the Board of The Village Path. It is a non-profit organization whose mission is to increase awareness, access and acceptance of mental wellness within Black communities.

President of the UM-St. Louis’ Chapter of the Association of Black Journalists (2005) and worked as a Staff Writer for The Current (UM-St. Louis paper) (2004-2005) and received an award for the most diverse writer.

---