Monique A.J. Smith

Consultant/Podcaster/Adjunct/Magazine Publisher/Author

The Leadership Strategist and AthleticPreneur ™
Monique A.J. Smith, is a Leadership Strategist that guides Athletics Departments/Sport Organizations
and Individuals who wish to advance in Athletics Administration/Sports Business or the Marketplace.
Smith, a Sports Management veteran of 30 plus years, owns a consulting business Seeds of
Empowerment ® LLC, where she consults in four ways 1. University workshops & retreats, 2. Monthly
Membership Program 3. Speaker’s Bureau 4. “Significance in Athletics and Sports” magazine. She is
Adjunct Faculty at Hampton University teaching Sports Management Courses. She is most known for her
7 seasons as the host of the internationally recognized weekly podcast "A Chat in the Garden with
Monique A.J. Smith”, that spotlights Women of Color in Athletics/Sports to her 2K Followers.
An Higher Education veteran of over 30 years, she launched her consulting business Seeds of
Empowerment ® LLC full-time March 2013. Smith has been conducting workshops for youth, women,
educational and corporate organizations as well as senior citizens since 2005. The B.O.S.S. Network has
listed Seeds of Empowerment® as one of 50 businesses to watch.
The Seeds of Empowerment® store has apparel, books, and magazines that also celebrates Woman of
Color in Athletics and Sports at payhip.com/seedsofempowerment
Smith time in Collegiate Athletics includes a 13 year tenure as athletic conference executive for the
historic Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA). She also served in various athletic
administrative roles on the campuses of Saint Paul’s College and the University of Maryland Eastern
Shore within a ten year period. Smith was a member of the Adjunct Faculty at Old Dominion University
in Norfolk, Virginia and currently is Hampton University Adjunct teaching Sports Management courses.
With the understanding that knowledge is the key to success, Smith customizes her presentations to
provide clients with leadership tools to prepare them to make informed decisions. Monique has
dedicated her life to marketing the success of others, developing opportunities for the
underrepresented and influencing decision makers to embrace diversity and inclusion. These actions
have led to extraordinary opportunities to facilitator change and see strives in the development of
others.
Smith is a native of Waverly, Virginia and resides in Hampton, Virginia with her husband and Hampton
University college sweetheart, Thomas Smith III.