Ahriana Edwards is a sales and marketing strategist, innovator, and intrapreneur with a proven track record of driving growth across retail, CPG, tech, nonprofit, food & beverage, and fashion industries. As Founder and Chief Strategy Officer of Vaila Shoes, a corporate-inspired footwear brand for women with extended shoe sizes 9-14, she's scaled the company into major national retailers including Macy's, DSW, Eloquii, and Dia & Co. Since launching Vaila in 2022, she's raised over $100K in non-dilutive funding, been named to the 2023 Forbes 30 Under 30 Atlanta List, recognized as Footwear News' 2023 "Women Who Rock," and featured in Entrepreneur, BET, Essence, Black Enterprise, and Nasdaq. Her career spans field sales leadership, founder support and mentorship, account management with major CPG brands, and strategic advisory roles across diverse sectors. Whether building retail partnerships at the headquarters level, mentoring the next generation of entrepreneurs, or developing go-to-market strategies that drive measurable results, Ahriana brings an entrepreneurial mindset to every challenge. She thrives at the intersection of strategic execution, creative problem-solving, and encouraging others to reach their full potential while combining exceptional organizational skills with a passion for continuous learning and innovation. Ahriana is driven by a deep commitment to creating opportunities and breaking barriers in spaces where they're needed most. At her core, she's on a mission to step beyond limits and create impact for the undervalued, underestimated, and underrepresented.