Born in Detroit, Michigan, Shontell Murphy is the eldest of her siblings. She served in the U.S. Navy, where she excelled as Head Master at Arms during boot camp in Orlando, FL, and later in Yeoman training school. Shontell was honored to serve as Yeoman to the Captain and Executive Officer at the Recruit Training Command in Orlando, FL, which was also her first duty station. She received an honorable discharge in 1995 after leaving the service early to care for her daughter, who was diagnosed with Sickle Cell disease.

Shontell holds an  Bachelor's degree in Business Administration and Healthcare Management from Central Christian College in Kansas. With this solid educational foundation, she secured a role with United Healthcare as a Network Contract Manager, where she managed Physician Contracts for the Veterans Affairs Community Care Network (VACCN) from start to finish.

A proud mother of three daughters and grandmother to two granddaughters and two grandsons, Shontell is deeply committed to serving veterans and their families. She currently serves as the CEO/Founder of Veterans Advocate, Inc., helping military veterans with their VA disability compensation claims. Additionally, she is a proud member of the National Association of Black Military Women (NABMW) Metro Atlanta Chapter,  member of American Legion Post #258 and DAV. 

Shontell is passionate about advocating for veterans and supporting her community. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her family, volunteering, traveling, and expanding her real estate and e-commerce ventures.