Shikiri Hightower is a California-based communications professional, entrepreneur, journalist, and philanthropist whose career has crossed several different fields. While many people first recognize her name because of her former marriage to former NFL star Keyshawn Johnson, her own professional story is much broader.
Over the years, Shikiri Hightower-Gaskin has worked in fashion, journalism, marketing, communications, philanthropy, and community-focused organizations. She has also served on the board of the Berkeley Symphony and has built an academic background that includes graduate degrees in journalism and business.
This biography looks at Shikiri Hightower, her education, career, entrepreneurship, family background, relationship with Keyshawn Johnson, and the work she has pursued in more recent years.
Who Is Shikiri Hightower?
Shikiri Hightower-Gaskin is a journalist, communications strategist, entrepreneur, and philanthropist associated with California. She was born in San Francisco and raised in Berkeley, according to a Berkeley Symphony announcement about her appointment to its board.
Her professional life has never been limited to one industry. She developed experience in fashion entrepreneurship before moving into communications and philanthropy. Her background combines business, media, marketing, social impact, and community engagement.
Today, Shikiri Hightower is particularly known for her communications work with the Blue Shield of California Foundation. In that role, she has worked on strategic communications and initiatives focused on breaking the cycle of domestic violence.
Quick Biography
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Full name | Shikiri Hightower-Gaskin |
| Known as | Shikiri Hightower |
| Birthplace | San Francisco, California |
| Raised in | Berkeley, California |
| Profession | Communications strategist, journalist, entrepreneur |
| Education | USC, UC Berkeley, Tulane University |
| Former industry | Fashion |
| Known former spouse | Keyshawn Johnson |
| Current surname | Hightower-Gaskin |
| Board role | Berkeley Symphony |
| Professional focus | Communications, philanthropy and social impact |
Shikiri Hightower’s Early Life and Background
Shikiri Hightower grew up in Berkeley, California, after being born in San Francisco. Her background helped shape the combination of cultural, creative, and professional interests that later became important in her career.
A Berkeley Symphony profile describes her as coming from a diverse family environment. Her professional biography also notes that she developed an interest in fashion at an early age after watching a family member work in the industry.
Rather than following only one career path, Shikiri eventually explored several areas. Journalism gave her an opportunity to develop communication skills, while fashion provided her with an early entrepreneurial platform.
That combination would later become one of the defining features of her career.
Shikiri Hightower’s Education
Education has played an important role in Shikiri Hightower’s professional development. She earned her bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Southern California, with a focus that included television journalism and social media.
She later attended the University of California, Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism, where she earned a master’s degree. She also earned an MBA from Tulane University’s Freeman School of Business.
Her education is notable because it connects several areas that appear throughout her professional career. Journalism gave her a foundation in storytelling and communication, while business education strengthened her understanding of entrepreneurship and management.
This combination has helped her move between creative industries, nonprofit work, communications, and business.
Her Career in Fashion
One of the most interesting parts of Shikiri Hightower‘s biography is her early career in fashion. Before becoming known for communications and philanthropic work, she established herself as a fashion entrepreneur.
She founded a boutique using her own name in Los Angeles. According to her professional biography, the business became associated with celebrity clientele and developed a reputation within the city’s fashion scene.
She later expanded her entrepreneurial work through Golden Butterfly, an accessories boutique in Santa Monica. Her career in fashion lasted for many years and gave her practical experience in branding, marketing, retail, customer relations, and communications.
These skills would eventually become valuable in her transition into strategic communications.
China Royal and Entrepreneurship
Shikiri also launched China Royal, a clothing brand positioned around high-quality and affordable fashion. Her professional biography says the brand was launched in the 2010s and was later recognized by The Root in a feature about Black-owned businesses.
The project demonstrated that her entrepreneurial interests extended beyond operating a traditional boutique.
For Shikiri, fashion became more than selling clothing. It was also a way to explore identity, branding, creativity, and business ownership. Her experience building fashion businesses provided a strong foundation for the communications work she pursued later.
Shikiri Hightower and Journalism
Journalism is another important part of Shikiri Hightower‘s career.
After completing her journalism education, she worked as a freelance journalist and became involved in projects designed to give young people opportunities to discuss everyday challenges. Her biography mentions a program called Generation Next with Shikiri, which brought teenagers and experts together for panel discussions.
This work reflected a larger theme in her career: using communication as a way to connect people and address social issues.
Her journalism experience also helped prepare her for later work in strategic communications, where storytelling, research, public relations, and audience engagement are all important.
Her Philanthropic Work
Another major part of Shikiri Hightower’s professional story is philanthropy.
She co-founded and served as executive director of a family education fund that provided scholarships, grants, and support to teenage parents and their children. Her professional biography connects this work with her own experience and her desire to support young families.
Her philanthropic activities demonstrate that her career has not been focused solely on commercial success. She has also spent significant time working on community-oriented projects.
That experience eventually became relevant to her communications work within the nonprofit and foundation sector.
Shikiri Hightower’s Work at Blue Shield of California Foundation
In more recent years, Shikiri Hightower has worked with the Blue Shield of California Foundation as a communications associate. The foundation says that she leads communications connected with its work to break the cycle of domestic violence.
Her responsibilities include strategic communications, digital communications, social media, grantmaking communications, and collaboration with organizations working in the field.
This role represents a major shift from her earlier fashion career. However, the underlying skills are closely connected. Her experience in journalism, marketing, entrepreneurship, storytelling, and public relations can all be applied to nonprofit communications.
The foundation’s published biography describes her as someone who brings together education, entrepreneurship, journalism, marketing, and philanthropy.
Shikiri Hightower and Berkeley Symphony
Shikiri Hightower-Gaskin has also been involved with the Berkeley Symphony.
In November 2022, Berkeley Symphony announced her appointment to its board of directors. The organization highlighted her Berkeley roots, communications background, journalism training, business education, and experience as a fashion entrepreneur.
Her involvement with the organization adds another dimension to her professional life. Rather than concentrating on one business or career, she has continued to participate in arts, culture, community, and nonprofit activities.
Her board service reflects her broader interest in organizations that contribute to the community.
Shikiri Hightower and Keyshawn Johnson
A significant reason people search for Shikiri Hightower is her previous marriage to former NFL wide receiver Keyshawn Johnson.
The two were married in 1998 and divorced in 2002. Public biographical information identifies Shikiri as the mother of two children from that marriage, including Keyshawn Johnson Jr.
Keyshawn Johnson became one of the most recognizable football players of his generation. He was selected first overall in the 1996 NFL Draft and later played 11 seasons in the NFL.
Because of his football career, Shikiri’s family life received public attention. However, her professional achievements continued independently through fashion, journalism, education, and philanthropy.
Shikiri Hightower’s Children and Family
Family is another important part of Shikiri Hightower’s story.
Her daughter Maia Keyanna Hightower-Johnson was born on December 16, 1995, in Los Angeles. Maia died on March 15, 2021, at the age of 25, according to an obituary published by UC Berkeley Journalism.
The obituary described Maia as a beloved daughter, sister, granddaughter, and friend. It also noted that she had lived in multiple states and traveled extensively during her life.
Shikiri and Keyshawn Johnson also have a son, Keyshawn Johnson Jr. The University of Nebraska’s official athletics profile identifies him as the son of Keyshawn Johnson Sr. and Shikiri Hightower.
Because family members have their own private lives, it is important not to assume that every detail circulating online is accurate or publicly confirmed.
What Is Shikiri Hightower Doing in 2026?
As of 2026, publicly available professional information continues to associate Shikiri Hightower-Gaskin with communications, philanthropy, and community work.
Her profile at the Blue Shield of California Foundation describes her communications responsibilities, while recent foundation material shows her participating in conversations and projects connected with social impact and community issues.
She also continues to be associated with the Berkeley Symphony board.
Her career today looks very different from the fashion-focused career that first brought her public attention. Yet the skills she developed as an entrepreneur and journalist remain useful in her current work.
Frequently Asked Questions About Shikiri Hightower
Who is Shikiri Hightower?
Shikiri Hightower-Gaskin is a California-based communications strategist, journalist, entrepreneur, and philanthropist. She is also known publicly because of her former marriage to former NFL player Keyshawn Johnson.
What does Shikiri Hightower do?
She works in communications and philanthropy. Her professional background includes strategic communications, journalism, fashion entrepreneurship, marketing, and nonprofit work.
Was Shikiri Hightower married to Keyshawn Johnson?
Yes. Shikiri Hightower and Keyshawn Johnson were married in 1998 and divorced in 2002. They have two children together.
What did Shikiri Hightower study?
She studied journalism at the University of Southern California and later earned a master’s degree from UC Berkeley’s Graduate School of Journalism. She also earned an MBA from Tulane University.
Is Shikiri Hightower still involved in philanthropy?
Yes. Her professional work has included philanthropy and communications related to social-impact organizations. She has also been involved with the Berkeley Symphony board.
Final Thoughts
The story of Shikiri Hightower goes far beyond her connection to a famous football player. She has built a diverse professional career that includes fashion entrepreneurship, journalism, business, communications, philanthropy, and community leadership.
Her educational background is equally broad, combining journalism and business. Her work with nonprofit organizations and her involvement with Berkeley Symphony show how her career has evolved from commercial fashion into communications and social impact.
For readers researching Shikiri Hightower in 2026, the most reliable picture is of a multifaceted professional whose identity cannot be reduced to her former marriage. Her career demonstrates how journalism, entrepreneurship, education, and community work can come together to create a long and varied professional journey.
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Hi, I’m Alex Morgan, a passionate writer at The Quick Magazine. I cover biographies, business, lifestyle, news, and trending stories, with a focus on creating clear, engaging, and well-researched content for readers.
