A Chicago native, Rashida moved to New York City in 2008 with $500 in her pocket, no job, no housing, no plan. But this is a story ripped straight from a Hollywood movie. She did what most people with her brand of moxie do, she made it happen. Because of her past experience managing bars and night clubs, she was able to land a job at a family owned restaurant in East Harlem New York. She found an apartment and the rest is a love story (sometimes hate story) with the concrete jungle.

While holding down her job as the lead bartender and manager of the restaurant, Rashida, a  former professional dancer/choreographer became the dance director at Manna House Workshops; also in Harlem. She always says dance is her first love and teaching allowed her to share that love with children.

“I love teaching. I come from a family of teachers, so this is something that comes naturally to me. My greatest joy is watching my students grow in skill and confidence. Dance is one of the many things I love, and I am happy I get to share that with others.”

Rashida left the restaurant and hospitality business when the establishment she worked for closed its doors in 2011. She went on to find employment with a husband and wife duo; one who was in hedge funds and finance and the other the owner of a fashion e-Commerce startup.

Rashida had never worked with hedge funds or e-commerce, but she is a self-starter and has always taught herself what she needed to know. Rashida began at the executive assistant position and leveled up to vendor account manager then director of operations for Shop Latitude and House of Fluff, respectively…all while still teaching dance on the weekends.

In early 2020, when the world stopped moving because of the Covid-19 pandemic, everything in Rashida’s world either came to complete stop or slowed down drastically. The dance school shuttered its doors and the e-Commerce company had to pause its business because the supply chain was on hold.

During the pandemic lockdown, Rashida still taught dance virtually and even started teaching acting.

As the world started to reopen in 2021, she started getting hired for different project management jobs including assisting on a 6-figure construction project for a high-profile client.