Shayla Unik Davis is a certified Human Resources professional who's mission is to help, support and empower. Shayla was born and raised in the city of Detroit and is passionate about education and the importance of self-development. Due to her mother’s educational installment and expectation of higher learning, Shayla attended Martin Luther King Jr. Senior High School and then went on to obtain her Bachelor’s Degree from Alabama State University.  The saying “A mind is a terrible thing to waste”, is not just a cliché to Shayla, she truly believes that through education, hard work and faith in God, all things are possible! 

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Life has presented many challenges for Shayla. In 2012, being a single mom and wanting to provide a better life for her six-year-old daughter, she moved back to Alabama in hopes of starting a new life in the South. Through a few dead-end jobs, experiencing homelessness for six months, a failed marriage, and a newborn son, she decided to move back to Detroit in search of support from her family and a better way of life. According to Shayla, “I fought and cried at the notion I’ve failed at life, as a mother, daughter and a friend to many”. Through Shayla’s faith in God and determination to be a great mom, she knew things would get better.  

 

In June of 2014, Shayla moved back to Detroit and decided to reinvent herself. Through her education, exceptional customer service skills and desire to be a provider and great example to her children, she focused on finding a career. Shayla’s previous role as Director of Human Resources at an architecture firm involved all functionalities of HR, but she is most proud of her efforts in introducing young African Americans to the field of Architecture. As a former member of the National Organization for minorities in Architecture (NOMA), she has traveled the country, exposing over 500 Minorities to Hamilton Anderson Associates, in search of talent to join the team. In 2019, Shalya became an HR Certified professional through the Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM), holding an internationally recognized credential in human resources. This earned her the promotion of becoming the youngest African American female to hold the Director of Human Resources seat at the architecture firm. In April 2019, Shayla earned her first publicized awarded from Michigan's Corp! Magazine as one of Michigan's Most Valuable Millennials for her hard work, dedication and contribution to her Human Resources responsibilities and initiatives. In 2019 Shayla was also nominated for Crain's 40 under 40 and accepted into Crain's Leadership Academy; Cohort 5.

 

Through trials and tribulations, Shayla has experienced many accomplishments. “I have turned my tragedies into triumphs and became the victor not the victim of my circumstances. If He did it for me, I know, I know, I know…HE WILL DO IT FOR YOU!”

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 **To book for speaking engagements or vendor event please email shaylaunik@unikiam.com**