Self-Discovery & Personal Growth Strategist

An accomplished Producer, Journalist, Speaker and Social Entrepreneur, Daphne Valerius inspires, encourages, and empowers women and girls through products and services centered in healing and unconditional self-love. Valerius is best known for producing the documentary film, ‘The Souls of Black Girls’. The film looks at historical and modern representations of women of color and the beauty standards therein. The film features interviews about body image with young women as well as actresses Regina King, Jada Pinkett Smith, the late Journalist Gwen Ifill & Rapper Chuck D among others.

Often navigating both in front and behind the camera, Valerius’ interests in media images and their effects on women of color began during her undergraduate studies at St. John’s University. She went on to complete her Masters in Broadcast Journalism at Emerson College, where she received an esteemed Associated Press Award for Public Affairs and produced her award-winning documentary, ‘The Souls of Black Girls’. Among other achievements, the success of ‘The Souls of Black Girls’ garnered Valerius the support of the late Dr. Dorothy Height, the Mira Nair Award for Rising Female Filmmaker and being named among the Best Black Documentary Directors of 2008. Notably, Valerius was featured as a panelist of Procter & Gamble's national “My Black is Beautiful” Tour where her documentary was used as a centerpiece for discussion.

At the height of the film’s unexpected success, Valerius was an invited guest of former First Lady Michelle Obama to the White House as a result of her work. In 2015, ‘The Souls of Black Girls’ which made its first televised debut years later on ASPiRETV in association with the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for African Americans under the Obama Administration. Valerius has had the honor of participating in several panels about the social issues facing women, including the Sojourner Truth Legacy project for the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation's Annual Leadership Conference in 2016.

Inspired to empower women and girls beyond her documentary, Valerius launched I AM HER Apparel - the unapologetic fashion brand with offerings meant to inspire women and girls to leave their mark, ‘I was here’. After overcoming a private battle with a severe form of facial paralysis, Valerius aspires to influence, encourage, uplift and serve women and girls from her battle scars along her journey to recovery. Based on her transparency and vulnerability, Valerius coaches one-on-one and through online courses in order to guide women and girls to ‘Being Her Best Self’. In doing so, she helps women and girls shift their thinking of themselves in two distinct areas: conquering fear and conquering insecurities from false self-perception.

A native of Rhode Island by way of Brooklyn, New York, Valerius continues to take the message of self-love and self-worth beyond her film. She is currently in research and development of the sequel to her documentary, ‘The Souls of Black Girls, Too!’

Her motto through her recovery, “Smile your heart out.”