Shaunte Whitted is driven by a spirit of gratitude, service, and faith that she applies to all her endeavors—and she has many. After spending years in customer service and case management along with promotional work in the entertainment industry, Whitted says, “I still felt a void in my desire to be of service. I knew I could do more to help people.”
So, in 2019 she started her own company, SDW Communications, providing public/media relations and event planning/consulting services.
Whitted says she has several projects planned for 2025 that highlight diversity in NH, including one that will showcase minority women business owners. One of her current clients is the We Are One Festival, which is the oldest Latino- and African-centered cultural festival in NH.
“I just celebrated my 10th individual year as being part of the festival, but it’s now become a project under SDW Communications that I’m running,” she says.
The first five years were not easy. SDW was just celebrating its first year in business when COVID hit in March 2020, forcing some businesses to close and live events to be canceled. In 2023 Whitted lost her father.
“I firmly believe that every challenge is preparing us for our highest good,”
she says.
Whitted rebounded and SDW Communications posted its highest grossing year in 2023. Last year she was a recipient of the Community-Driven Economic Empowerment Accelerator grant from the Manchester NAACP and the NH Community Loan Fund. She was named a 2024 Outstanding Woman in Business by the New Hampshire Business Review.
She is also focused on her online radio show, Journey Thru Gospel. “This is a project that has been in the works for many years that includes interviews with influential people on how their walk with God guided their decisions in life.”
Current Issue - December 2024