Denise Rosario Adusei’s life mission is to inspire young children’s imagination and creativity. When she graduated from Columbia Business School, she utilized her MBA to develop a preschool and became a professional imagineer for children in Harlem. “My goal,” Denise says, “is to provide a playful environment where children feel supported, develop a love of learning, and gain self-confidence as valued members of our community.”

Prior to starting her school, Denise worked in non-profit management consulting for child development and healthcare organizations. In addition, she served in foreign policy, focusing on global health, international refugees and US-China relations. She gained her master’s degree from Columbia University and bachelor’s degree in public health from Brown University.

Denise lives in New York City with her Ghanaian husband and children. She is Cape Verdean (West African), born in Brazil and raised in New England. She speaks Portuguese, Spanish and Cape Verdean Creole. She is a member of SCBWI, AWP, Inked Voices, Storytelling Academy and the Children’s Book Academy. In addition, she won AWP’s Writer to Writer Mentoring contest

As the founding director of a Harlem-based preschool, her direct experience with educators and children has inspired her to write children’s stories that tap into early-childhood experiences. Her multicultural and international perspective often slips into her stories. As a founding member of both #BlackCreatorsInKidlit and #LatinxPitch, Denise combines her passion for social entrepreneurship and children’s literature to support emerging writers of color and increase BIPOC representation in children’s literature.