Meet the Author: Rashan Ali

Photography by Antoinne Duane Jones

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 hand-picked 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 sideline 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.