Shirlene Brown

Sirlene Brown is currently the Vice President of Business Development with the

. At Coalesce she is responsible for developing and leading the company's vision and strategy in sourcing, managing, and implementing new eco-sustainable business opportunities in emerging markets, particularly Africa. She identifies strong emerging international business markets that provide high Return On Investment (ROI) opportunities She builds strategic partnerships and develops strong networks to facilitate success in these endeavors.

She was previously an Editor of the Parenting section of Global Woman, an international magazine that provides articles, and perspectives from women from around the world; wrote regularly for Yahoo Contributor Network, and the Washington Examiner and Baltimore Examiner; was the Editor-In-Chief for Jamati, an online African Entertainment Portal; and owner of Kenyan Jewels, a site dedicated to celebrating Kenyan achievement in the Diaspora. Her other sites include Dynamic Columbia (showcasing the best of Columbia, MD), and Diva Wrap Time (sharing natural hair care and great hair weave tips). She developed a Facebook initiative, New Black Narrative, to focus the black conversation around achievement.

In her 'spare time' she runs a multimedia marketing company, BrownInk Media, is an information consultant with Pipeline Information Brokers, and is responsible for the social media marketing for Swahili Village and Restaurant. Her recipe for success is to keep going, learn from your mistakes, and make each situation a learning experience.