WS Chronicle

For as long as she can remember, Shalisha Morgan has had a passion for technology and IT work. A native of Kansas City, Kansas, Morgan said from the moment she put the family computer together by herself as a child, she knew she had found her calling. 

“I’ve just always loved it. I’ve always been able to build things without instructions no matter what it was. So I’ve always been hardware driven. I just love being that problem solver.” Morgan said. 

In 2013 while still working a full-time job and raising two children, Morgan decided to turn her passion into a business when she founded The Geek in Heels LLC, a one-stop shop for all your IT needs, from hardware repairs to virus protection.

Two years later, Morgan took a promotion at her job which relocated to Winston-Salem and she brought Geek in Heels with her. 

After getting adjusted to her new life in the City of Arts and Innovation, Morgan relaunched the brand by spreading the word through local organizations like the Winston-Salem Urban League, the Black Business Chamber, Venture Cafe, and the Small Business Center. Morgan said attending events led her to meet individuals like James Perry, CEO of the Urban League, and Allan Younger, director of the Forsyth Tech Small Business Center, who have served as her mentors. And shortly thereafter the word of the IT geek who always wears heels started to spread like wildfire, so much so that just one year after, she decided to relaunch. Morgan made the decision to follow her passion full time and last week she opened a Kiosk in Hanes Mall. 

“When I relaunched Geek in Heels, I networked. One of the first things I went to was an Urban League event and then I went to a Black Chamber meeting, then a Winston-Salem Chamber meeting, and it just grew from there,” continued Morgan. “And now because of the Urban League, that’s why I’m here. They gave me a small business loan. 

“I can honestly say if it was not for those different relationships with Venture Cafe, the Urban League, the Black Chamber, the Winston-Salem Chamber, I probably wouldn’t be here.”

Located on the second floor outside the Food Court, Morgan said Geek in Heels is a personal help desk for all your tech needs. Along with cell phone screen repair that can be done in an hour, Morgan also does device upgrades, battery and motherboard replacement, anti-virus, device optimization, data backup and much more. 

In just her first week at Hanes Mall, Morgan used her networking skills once again to form a partnership with the AT&T store. When discussing the power of networking, Morgan said she encourages young people all the time to market themselves. 

“Regardless whether you’re a janitor or a CEO, it’s important to network because you never know who you may meet. I might meet my next potential investor or client, or I may meet someone who can put me with the investor,” she said. “Moving here with two kids, it could have been easy for me to say, I can’t, but that’s just not who I am. I tell these young people all the time: Go to network. Go to events, and never let the excuse be that you’re by yourself or that you don’t know anyone. If I can do it with two kids, anyone can do it.”

Five years from now, Morgan said she hopes to franchise her business and have several locations. She said her goal is to have a majority of women working for her. Morgan mentioned she wants to introduce more women to the opportunities available in a career in IT. 

The Geek in Heels, LLC, is open Monday-Saturday  9 a.m. until 9 p.m. and Sunday, noon until 6 p.m. For more information, go to www.thegeekinheels.com or call (336) 794-6762.