Born and raised near Saratoga Springs, New York, Valerie Perez began her career in the US Army and spent three years in Alaska as a photo lab technician. She earned her undergraduate degree in business from Georgia State University in Atlanta and an MBA from the University of Michigan and is a managing partner with Design Management Alliance. Shortly before her fiftieth birthday, she joined the Peace Corps fulfilling a lifelong dream. She was sent to the Federated States of Micronesia where she worked with disadvantaged youth.