He attended the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill, and graduated with a bachelor's degree in English with a minor in Creative Writing.

[2] Whitley has also acted as a co-writer for 2012 digital mini-series "GlobWorld" and the current series "NFL RushZone".

[2] From 2016 to 2019, Whitley was the principal creator and writer of the Marvel Comics series The Unstoppable Wasp, across two runs of eight and ten issues respectively.

[6] His work on The Unstoppable Wasp received attention for "bringing a nuanced understanding understanding of mental health, and bipolar disorder in particular"[7] to Marvel comics, also drawing praise from bipolar advocates [8] and mental health professionals.

[9] Whitley currently lives with his wife Alicia and daughters Zuri and Amara in Raleigh, North Carolina.