Denise was born in Chicago, Illinois in 1960. She received her GED from Olive-Harvey College in 1993. She also graduated from National Louis University in 2007 with a Bachelor of Arts in Applied Behavior. In 2009 she graduated from Spertus College earning her Master of Science Degree in Nonprofit Management with a concentration in Human Service Administration.

She is Executive Director of Tender Touch a Non-profit organization.