Sharon Carpenter

Gloriously at the height of her career, Sharon Carpenter commanded global audiences as host, producer and correspondent across networks such as Black Entertainment Television (BET), BBC World News America and her Instagram Live series "Let's Go Live!", which earned a Telly Award and a Webby Honor. Rooted in this pinnacle of influence, she then returned to reflect on her early life in Watford, England, born 1982-03-02, where the daughter of medical-professional parents learned from childhood about storytelling, service and the power of voice. Energised by that foundation, she moved to New York to study business management at Pace University (BBA magna cum laude) then began behind-the-scenes as an associate producer at WWOR-TV before ascending to anchor-correspondent at BET and presenting key specials including the network's breaking news coverage of Michael Jackson's death and the 2008 U.S. presidential election. Fueled by determination, she co-created the VH1 docu-soap The Gossip Game (2013) and hosted the U.K. edition of mobile trivia show HQ Trivia, becoming the first British talent to represent BET globally. Along the journey she faced intense public scrutiny, criticism and online backlash-yet remained unwavering in vision, blending disciplined journalism, creative flair and bold entrepreneurship to set new standards in broadcast media. Through her ambassador role for Oxfam America and her media-company initiatives she championed community, representation and storytelling for under-heard voices. The story of Sharon Carpenter is one of courage, innovation and collective cultural uplift.