Shatriece Terry: Building Bridges to Success for Black Women Through Promote Black Women

Black women remain chronically underrepresented in corporate leadership despite tremendous talent, drive and progress made in penetrating its ranks. Yet courageous trailblazers like Shatriece Terry demonstrate with grit and resilience that glass ceilings can be shattered from underserved neighborhoods to the Executive Suite. Shatriece’s passage has taken her from the streets of Compton to the corner offices of corporate America. Through hard work, education, and an unshakeable belief in herself, Shatriece carved out an impressive career, shattering stereotypes and glass ceilings along the way.   

Now a successful entrepreneur, author, speaker and advocate for Black women in business, Shatriece is passing on the lessons learned from her remarkable rise to help a new generation achieve their highest potential. Her organization, Promote Black Women , is working to close the racial wealth and opportunity gaps that persist in America with innovative programs centered on mentoring, coaching and community building.   

Shatriece’s inspiring story begins amidst humble circumstances in Compton, California, where poverty and violence were woven into daily life. “Unless you’re from there, your limited knowledge of the area is probably reduced to what you’ve seen in movies or west-coast rap videos,” Shatriece explained. “Fear, gangs, drugs, poverty... It’s mostly true.”   

The instability of her childhood, marked by frequent moves and an environment shadowed by an alcoholic and absentee mother, could have easily led Shatriece down a far different path. Nevertheless, her mother’s advice to pursue education—as the one thing no one could take away—served as a guiding north star.    

An avid reader and gifted student, Shatriece found solace in school even as she struggled to find belonging between opposing poles. At her primarily Black high school, she excelled academically but felt disconnected from the Asian and White students in gifted classes. And while she spent time with Black friends over lunch or after school, she never identified socially with those from stable families.   

“Where were the people like me?” Shatriece wondered. The absence of role models and mentors who mirrored her identity and aspirations proved to be an ongoing challenge. Still, Shatriece persevered, graduating high school with stellar grades that earned her admission to the University of Southern California’s prestigious engineering program.   

Arriving at USC, Shatriece once again found herself adrift without mentors or a clear professional pathway to follow. As riots erupted across Los Angeles in response to the Rodney King verdict, she dove deeper into her studies, searching for direction. “I kept reading and discovered my superpower = data and tech,” said Shatriece. “I looked for roles as a data analyst or developer. Knowing your superpower is a powerful step toward identity.”   

Landing an internship in college set Shatriece’s course, proving to be her entry point into a career in human resources, information technology and data analytics. Over the next decade, she methodically acquired knowledge and skills, rising through the ranks at companies like Royal Caribbean Cruises and earning advanced degrees at night.   

However, progressing up the corporate ladder as a Black woman entailed endless struggles for respect, fair pay, and promotions. Shatriece recounted achieving major cost savings for Royal Caribbean by creating an internal dashboard to track workforce planning and analytics. The project was mentioned in the company’s 10-K filing reports, yet Shatriece was not acknowledged with a spot bonus, an executive lunch meeting, or public commendation through media interviews. Shockingly, her request for a basic promotion to senior analyst was also denied.   

“I learned a powerful lesson about branding,” said Shatriece. “If you do not communicate your value, no one else will. Others will become the voice of your accomplishments.” After setbacks like these, Shatriece realized advocacy was crucial for herself and other Black women to advance professionally. She stepped into leadership roles, guiding employee resource groups, workshops and networking events.   

Her big break came in her early 30s upon joining Cornerstone OnDemand, a high-growth tech firm based in Southern California. After mastering key functions in IT, sales and human resources, Shatriece was eventually promoted to senior director. As one of the only Black employees in the 600+ person company, she shattered stereotypes by climbing to its executive ranks.   

“I was not an imposter; I was an outsider,” remarked Shatriece. “The unequal treatment of underrepresented employees goes unnoticed if there are no executive sponsors keeping tabs on their potential.” True to form, when Shatriece was abruptly unemployed from Cornerstone, there were no Black leaders at the VP or C-suite level invested enough in her success to intervene. She had reached the heights of the organization alone, without the support vital to enduring there.   

The experience was both painful and clarifying. On one side, the stark absence of diversity in Cornerstone’s leadership signified deep problems in tech and corporate America overall. On the other, Shatriece recognized that these systemic barriers prevented countless talented women from rising to their full potential.   

“I wanted others to gain access to some of the hidden knowledge and understandings of the tech culture from an insider’s point of view,” said Shatriece. She dreamed of moving from being a mentor to many into building a movement of “rebel mentors” dedicated to empowering Black women substantively.   

That vision took form in 2020 with the launch of Promote Black Women. Galvanized by the racial justice protests sweeping the nation after George Floyd’s murder, the social impact organization seeks to accelerate advancement for Black women in business through highly tailored coaching, mentoring and upskilling programs.   

Leading Promote Black Women allows Shatriece to draw on the totality of her experiences, from Compton to cruise ships to Silicon Beach, to guide aspiring leaders. By helping Black women master critical yet unspoken norms in the workplace, she is working to secure a seat at the table for generations to come.   

Promote Black Women further distinguishes itself by partnering with companies to enhance diversity, equity, and inclusion. Shatriece advises organizations on intentionally building multicultural mentoring systems and succession plans to develop equitable talent pipelines. Promote Black Women’s goal is to close the racial pay gap through social action, mentoring, and tailored coaching.   

“Rebel mentors raise awareness of community needs,” said Shatriece, referring to the senior professionals dedicating time to uplift Black women through Promote’s initiatives. “We call the women who gain access to their experience ‘trailblazers.’”   

Shatriece has bold plans to expand Promote Black Women’s boots on the ground programs to Atlanta, Chicago and other cities over the next two years. She also aims to facilitate salary increases totaling one million dollars annually for program participants. Given historical obstacles, achieving parity and power for Black women will require relentless drive. But the adversity Shatriece faced on her journey fuels her optimism and sense of purpose today.   

“From elementary school age, I crafted a career, rising to Senior Director at a tech company in Los Angeles and making over $250,000 a year,” Shatriece said proudly. “I’ve helped dozens get promoted through the corporate ranks and have impacted hundreds of lives.”   

Shatriece Terry ’s trail toward the top may have been winding and steep, but she is determined to pave it smoothly for those to follow. By connecting Black female talent with opportunity across the corporate world, Promote Black Women will unleash the full economic and leadership potential of this dynamic community. The ripple effects stand to benefit not just individuals, but families, communities and our entire nation.