Sharifa Williams was born in Buffalo, New York and raised in the Southwest. She studied drama and photography in high school, then received a scholarship to the University of Arizona's Media Arts program. She later transferred to New York University where she received a BFA in Film and Television. In school, she was equally drawn to the technical and creative sides of filmmaking, exploring all aspects from screenwriting to editing.

Her mother opened her mind to the wonders of science fiction at a young age, beginning with short stories and the original Star Trek. Sharifa is now preparing to direct her own sci-fi digital short, "Passengers of 7D."

Her future projects include a comic book script called "The Lion's Light" and a sci-fi webseries.