Shelli Tench

Shelli Tench is the Founder and CEO of SHELTEN LLC, a digital marketing and brand awareness agency dedicated to elevating brands through authentic connection and strategic visibility. Known for her commitment to a “people over profits” philosophy, Shelli has spent more than a decade helping entrepreneurs, nonprofits, and business leaders grow their impact through intentional marketing.

A native of Richmond, Virginia and raised in Chattanooga, Tennessee, Shelli returned to higher education as a non-traditional student. She attended Georgia Perimeter College, where she was inducted into the National Honor Society and named to the National Dean’s List, before earning her degree in Communications with a concentration in Public Relations from NC State University. During her study abroad at Oxford University in 2009, she recognized the global power of digital communication—an insight that would define her entrepreneurial path.

SHELTEN LLC was born in 2012, after Shelli’s freelance social media work began to quickly outgrow its beginnings. Since then, she has built a respected agency that supports B2B, B2C, and nonprofit organizations through strategy-driven campaigns, real-time event coverage, and digital community building.

Shelli’s leadership has earned significant recognition, including being named one of Business Leader Magazine’s “Top Movers & Shakers of the Triangle” (2012) and NAWBO Greater Raleigh’s “Woman Business Owner of the Year” (2019). She serves on the Advisory Board of Enterprising Women Magazine, chairs the Ferndale, WA Young Enterprising Women Mentoring Forum, facilitates the Amazing Women of Whatcom County, and is a member of the Bellingham Executive Association. She has also been a member of the Meta Leaders Network since 2021.

Guided by her belief that business should be driven by integrity and service, Shelli often says:

“People over profits is more than a value — it’s a responsibility.”