Lawyers play an integral role in the legal system, serving as advocates for their clients and ensuring justice is served. Kahalia, a successful business owner, attorney (NY In House Counsel), and mother, is making a name for herself with her impressive credentials and unique combination of skills. She stays true to herself and her core values of positivity, care, respect, and civility, even as she breaks boundaries and achieves her goals.
As the daughter of Caribbean immigrants from Trinidad & Tobago, Kahalia has a strong connection to her humble beginnings and Caribbean roots. She is a music nomad and enjoys music genres like Afrobeats, Soca, Reggae, Hip Hop, and House and is proud to have stayed grounded in her origins like fellow island-girl celebrities Rihanna and Nicki Minaj.
Kahalia began her career in real estate in New York City at the young age of 19. When COVID-19 sparked a real estate boom in South Florida, she decided to capitalize on it and become a Miami realtor. Then she started her own real estate services and consulting company, Ocean Luxe Group. Today, the company is an SBA certified Women Owned Small Business, and Kahalia has plans to become a Florida Real Estate Broker in 2024.
In addition to her work in real estate, Kahalia realized her dream of starting her own law firm, Solano Law Firm. She won a federal government contract with the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) in 2022 as an Attorney Advisor on the Employment and Ethics team. Her mother, three sisters, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Michelle Obama, Oprah, and Beyoncé serve as her inspirations.
Kahalia is a true New Yorker, having grown up in a city that fostered a vibrant arts, entertainment, and culture scene. After graduating from Penn State’s Journalism school, she began her career in various creative roles in fashion, media, and marketing. Her passion for fighting against inequities led her to become a Civil Rights Attorney and Diversity & Inclusion advocate. However, Kahalia’s work in the creative industries and entertainment is not done. She was selected as a Legal Diversity mentee at Netflix and was a Combs Enterprise X Endeavor Excellence program finalist. She has aspirations to combine her journalism and legal background as an on-air talent in broadcast journalism.
Kahalia now resides in Florida near the Miami area with her husband and toddler daughter. In her free time, Kahalia enjoys spending time with her family in New York City or Miami, vacationing on a Caribbean island, attending music festivals, and practicing meditation and yoga. Despite being a millennial, she values offline experiences over constant social media use and prioritizes self-care.
Kahalia is also a published children’s book author, with her book “Why I Love Summer” distributed in major stores like Target, Walmart, Barnes & Noble, and Amazon. Her inspiring story serves as a reminder to prioritize what matters most in life and to stay true to oneself, no matter how much success one achieves.
