Ashley Darby

Ashley Darby is an entrepreneur with a passion for hospitality, philanthropy and holistic health. As a Maryland native with a spicy personality, Ashley has been instilled with tenacity and an unmatched drive to succeed. The oldest child in her family, Ashley grew up juggling multiple jobs to help support her single mom and younger siblings. When she turned 18, she attended the University of Maryland and bartended on the side to keep both herself and her family financially stable. While bartending, Ashley was scouted by the Miss District of Columbia Pageant and went on to take the crown in 2011.

Soon thereafter, Ashley met Michael Darby, an Australian real-estate millionaire, who is 29 years her senior. Sparks flew, and Ashley was introduced to a world she never knew existed. After four years of dating, the couple married, and Ashley went from 22 and single to wife and stepmother of Michael’s 24- and 26-year-old children. In addition to owning Oz Restaurant and Bar with her husband, Ashley is a certified yoga instructor and advocates that balance is about inner peace and outer physicality. Although she's having the time of her life, Ashley is still learning how to balance love, family, and business, and she hopes to expand her family with a baby.