Dr. Shmeka Gibson (’07)

“My favorite memory was from my freshman year, the excitement of being on campus, ‘acting’ and living as an adult.”

When Shmeka Gibson graduated from CBU with her BA in Psychology, she went to work as a counselor at Youth Villages, and then served as a non-profit manager at Porter-Leath, United Way, and Memphis Leadership Foundation. She continued her education and earned a Master of Science in Psychology from the University of Phoenix and a PhD in Industrial/Organizational Psychology/Focus in Inferential Statistics from Capella University.

Today, Shmeka is an author, international speaker, and business owner. She is the founder and CEO of Innate Success Corp., which provides contract services to organizations in need of data analytics, organizational infrastructure development, program management, research, and applying for funding opportunities and grants. She has authored a trilogy of books entitled Changing the Mindset.

With the many hats she wears, Shmeka says her most exciting job is teaching — she is an adjunct instructor at CBU and has also taught at Southwest Tennessee Community College. She says she enjoys being able to educate her students in Psychology and how to apply what they learn to enhance their professional and personal goals.

Shmeka is an active member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, the Memphis Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Pi Business Fraternity, the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology, and the Memphis Central Rotary Club. At CBU, she is an alumni board member of the Black Student Association. She sits on several organizational boards and frequently volunteers with non-profit organizations.

Shmeka was named one the 50 Most Influential Women by VIP Global Magazine in 2021 and was awarded 2022 Small Business of the Year by the Southern Entertainment Awards.

I learned many things from my Psychology professors that prepared me to be more observant and logical in career choices, relationships, and business opportunities. ‘Pay close attention to behaviors, for they will tell you everything a person is thinking.’