Photo by Nneka Julia
I’m a Peabody and Webby Award-winning writer and audio storyteller from Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn. Named one of Brooklyn Magazine’s 30 Under 30, my writing has been featured in Vogue, Travel + Leisure, The Los Angeles Review of Books, and National Geographic Traveler, among others.
BedStuyBrat was my AOL Instant Messenger name back in the T-Mobile Sidekick days, and it still applies; much of my work centers around my community of brown people and brownstones. As an avid traveler, I also find inspiration in the people, foods, and fashions of distant lands. In short, I tell stories from around the world, and around the way.
A graduate of The New School’s MFA in Creative Writing program and a VONA Voices fellow, I’ve applied my storytelling skills to creating content for corporate partners including Airbnb and Intrepid Travel. As a lecturer and educator, my topics of expertise include narrative writing, the art of storytelling, and personal essay. I’m frequently called upon to serve as a panelist and moderator, sounding off on everything from diversity and inclusion within the travel space and responsible travel to media, gender, and Black millennial identity.
On the day-to-day, I’m an Associate Director of Development at Audible, where I work with emerging and established creators and writers to develop original audio series. My recent projects include serving as Executive Producer of Fela Kuti: Fear No Man, which earned both Peabody and Webby Awards.
I’m also the co-founder and co-host of Black Girls Texting, a podcast aimed at highlighting and celebrating the multiplicity of Black women’s identities, and the co-founder of Craft & Release, a global creative community that helps artists tell better stories and connect through workshops, live storytelling events, and conversation. And because that isn’t enough, I’m also a co-founder of the bodycare brand Blue Water Girls.
I’m currently crafting a collection of essays on race, class, and relationships and am likely somewhere overthinking.