Onward & Upward: Ep. 1 with Rashan Ali
One Such Accomplished Woman is Rashan Ali, Multi-Media Personality, Actress, Author, On-Air Host.
Thanks so much to Rashan for joining us for Season One of Onward & Upward with Leslie E. Royal, brought to you by Ashro.
Watch Episode 1: A Heart to Heart Dialogue with Rashan Ali now:
What does Onward & Upward Mean to you?
“Onward & Upward means to continue to press forward…moving. Just like water, we all must continue to move…I just encourage each and every one of you to think about water to keep moving onward & upward.” -Rashan Ali
With a passion for all things media and empowering young women, Rashan Ali is as a formidable and revered personality within the sports and entertainment industries. She believes in “Doing Media Differently.”
While attending Florida A & M University as a Broadcast Journalism major, Rashan knew that she wanted to share her voice with the world, and set out on a quest to make that happen. She became heavily involved in the entertainment scene in Atlanta, working for LaFace Records and as the personal assistant to the late Lisa ‘Left Eye’ Lopes. Rashan entered a contest searching for new talent on Atlanta radio station HOT 107.9 FM and was handpicked from over 500 applicants to join popular radio personality Ryan Cameron on-air.
Her charisma and grace appealed to millions of listeners, which quickly propelled the program’s rating into the #1 position during its 6-10 AM time slot. She then went on to become the host of the “A-Team” Morning Show on the same station. Rashan’s journey in radio came full circle in 2010 when she reunited with Ryan Cameron for a year as the co-host of The Ryan Cameron Show on V-103 FM, Atlanta’s #1 urban formatted station. She later joined new hip hop station 94.5 as the host of “The Streetz Morning Grind” in 2012.
Rashan’s unique perspective and passion for sports has resulted in side-line reporting for the Atlanta Hawks (2005 – 2009), the Southern Conference Sports Network (2011), the Atlanta Football Classic for NBC Sports Network (2011-2012), college football and basketball for CBS Sports Network (2012-2015) and for the Chick-Fil-A Bowl Preview Show, which aired on ESPN 2 and ESPN U. She was also the Social Media Correspondent for NBA TV’s “GameTime” during the NBA Playoffs (2010 – 2013) and worked on the network’s show “Fantasy Insider” in the same capacity for two seasons. Ali hosted Atlanta and Company After Noon on NBC (Atl), Under Armour Highlights of the week on the NFHS Network and “HBCU Playback” on Aspire TV. She freelanced for CNN and
HLN’s Bleacher Report. and served as the co-host of “Rise Up Weekly” on Atlanta’s CW 69 for four seasons. Ali also freelanced as a sports anchor on NBA TV. She is the host of her own podcast, “The Cool Soror Podcast” which explores the stories of women and men in black, greek lettered organizations. She has since expanded the brand incorporating all “Cool People.” Rashan formerly served as one of four co-hosts on “Sister Circle” – a nationally syndicated talk show on TV One, which ran for three seasons.
Ali remains involved in countless charities and organizations. She is an active member of the Pi Alpha Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. and she serves on an international committee for the oldest black, greek lettered sorority. In 2006, she founded Sporty Girls, Inc., -a non-profit organization that encourages personal growth through participation in non-traditional sports like golf, tennis, soccer, swimming and lacrosse. Sporty Girls, Inc. has made an indelible impact on young, female athletes through her Camp Elite, Sporty Tract to Scholarship, Get Girls Sporty and Sporty Clinics programs. Sporty Girls has served more than 1,500 girls throughout the Metro-Atlanta area. She serves on the Board of Directors for Rising Media Stars, an organization that grooms young women to pursue careers in sports journalism. Ali is also the author of a delightful children’s book entitled, “Piper Sky’s Pink Popsicle Shoes.” Ali enjoys spending time with her husband, Brian, and is the proud mother of two wonderful daughters, Bailey and Carter. For more information about Rashan Ali, please visit www.rashanali.com, www.sportygirlsinc.org & www.coolsoror.com.
Rashan Ali Smith
Multi-Media Personality, Actress,
Author, On-Air Host
Thank you for inspiring us, Rashan!
Would you like to be featured in future episodes?
Or do you know someone who has made a significant impact on the Black community? Email us today!
Ashro Brand Ambassador Leslie E. Royal is also an author, international freelance writer, product review expert, and global travel journalist. Her articles have appeared in numerous publications including: Medium, ESSENCE, Black Enterprise, FORTUNE.com, AAA Southern Traveler, Upscale, Upscale Living, and The Ashro Blog. She is the creator of the Leslie’s Lane consumer information blog and author of two books. Visit her Instagram and Amazon Author page
Comments (1)
Jennifer J Powell
I enjoyed the interview with Soror Rashan Ali Smith. It was very inspiring and uplifting. Gratitude and Love is how we should all live our lives. This pandemic crisis won’t last forever so, as mentioned, we must keep moving onward and upward!