About Shante

Shante M. Stevens comes to Richmond by way of Milwaukee, WI where she grew up experiencing the harsh realities of poverty on a daily basis. As a way to escape and look past all of the things she didn’t have, Shante formed the habit of positive thinking and cultivating an attitude that didn’t leave room for negativity. A natural leader and one who sought after challenges, Shante enlisted in the U.S Army National Guard after completing high school.  

Within her 12 years of service in the Army she has been deployed to multiple duty stations including Iraq. In her professional career she currently works as a Program Analyst for the Virginia Army National Guard where she has managed over 5 million dollars of Government funds. Shante has also received a number of awards to include the Army Achievement Medal, The Joint Forces Achievement Medal, Good Conduct Medal, and Coin of Excellence from The Adjutant General as well as many others. She is also the first female of the Virginia Army National Guard to be awarded honorary Spurs from the 2-183rd Calvary Regiment.

Shante learned early on that a career in the Military can become very stressful emotionally and physically.  One way she found to cope with those daily stresses was to make time for self-care. Through her journey of learning what self-care really meant, Shante began to study holistic practices for overall well-being and expanded her expertise in Aromatherapy.  Understanding the mental and physical benefits of plants and essential oils moved her to launch her own company named Laxed Home Spa & Bath. At Laxed, Shante shares the importance of connecting with self and loved ones.

With a heart and passion in helping others and becoming a positive influence in the community, Shante first served as Community Service and Social & Cultural Development Co-Chair of the Urban League Greater Richmond Young Professionals. She continues her commitment to uplift the RVA community as our current Membership Chair.