Born and raised in a developing country, Sellama later moved to the U.S. for further studies. He earned a Bachelor's degree in International Relations from Florida International University in Miami, Florida, followed by a Master's in International Relations and Conflict Resolution from American Public University in West Virginia. He has taught subjects including the American political system, economics, management, American history, and world history. Having lived in both the developing and developed worlds, Sellama gained firsthand insight into the economic gap between them. This inspired him to write a book demonstrating how developing nations can catch up and build robust economies by learning from countries that rose from poverty to prosperity.