Gholar was born in Las Vegas, Nevada. She graduated from Durango High School in 1999. Then she attended the University of Nevada, Las Vegas where she graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. While at UNLV, she served as vice president of the College Democrats. In 2011, Gholar was appointed by President Barack Obama to serve as Special Assistant to the Secretary in the Office of Public Engagement of the U.S. Department of Labor. She served as the first ever Director of Public Engagement for the Democratic National Convention Committee. Before serving in the Department of Labor, Gholar was the Manager of National Partnerships for United Way Worldwide. Gholar was then hired by Emerge America, a Democratic women’s campaign recruiting group, to serve as its first political director.