Ashley August
Host
Ashley August is black, alive and loves a good time and a good list! She is a Brooklyn born and raised afro-latina actress, author, playwright, activist, teaching artist, global touring spoken word artist, previously 3rd ranked woman poet in the world, a member of the ABC/Disney Discovers cast (‘21-‘22), hip-hop junkie, former Youth Poet Laureate of New York City and named one of The New York Times 30 Under 30 Most Influential people.
Along with multiple stage and screen appearances, her credits include the 2024 Paris Olympics, Sundance, Cannes Film Festival, Netflix, Marvel, HBO, The Public Theater and The Lark Play Development Center. She recently became a recipient of the highly coveted Geffen Playhouse Writer’s Room Residency where she penned her forthcoming One Woman Show. She's also written and performed for brands like Adidas, Refinery 29, Under Armour, Nike, MTV, Comedy Central and more. August is the author of three self-exploratory books, “Love Handles”, “Licorice” and "Say I Won't". She is the former curator and Slam Master of the legendary Bowery Poetry Club (NYC) and newly named host of Los Angeles’ most premier poetry spot, Da Poetry Lounge. With Belize and Brooklyn embedded into her (he)art, August is motivated to speak the unsaid truth and push the boundaries of the page and performance to realms they've yet to live in.
Edwin Bodney
Host
Edwin Bodney is a Black, Queer, non-binary artist, award-winning educator, and nationally recognized poet from Los Angeles. As someone living with M.S. and the rest of the world’s chaos, they strive to remind all vulnerable communities of their joy and laughter.
Edwin and their work have been featured in platforms and publications like Button Poetry, Platypus Press, The Exposition Review, The Advocate, Lexus, TvOne, Amazon Prime, UW-Madison, and many others. Their full-length book of poetry, A Study of Hands (2017) is available for purchase through Not A Cult Media.
Matthew Cuban
Host/Coach
Matthew ‘Cuban’ Hernandez is a poet, emcee, speaker, actor, and performance coach from Jacksonville, Florida. He has toured as far as Abu Dhabi and nearly every major city in the United States and Europe, performing, teaching and coaching poetry. A teaching artist for over 15 years, Matthew has spent the last ten years working in youth detention centers across Los Angeles County, currently serving as the Director of Camp Programming for Street Poets, Inc. In addition, he is a current Lead Teacher and Co-Founder of Spoken Literature Art Movement.
Cuban has opened for artists such as Wu-Tang, performed for platforms such as BuzzFeed and NPR and even appeared on the award-winning television show, Better Things. Matthew is also a three time Southern Fried poetry slam champion and an award-winning poetry coach. Cuban’s favorite activity is making people feel great; sometimes he does this through hip hop and poetry.
Yesika
Host
Yesika Salgado is a Los Angeles based Salvadoran poet who writes about her family, her culture, her city, and her fat body. Salgado is a two time National Poetry Slam finalist and the recipient of the 2020 International Latino Book Award in Poetry. Her work has been featured in the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Teen Vogue, Univision, CNN, NPR, and many other platforms. She is an internationally recognized body-positive advocate, writer of the column Suelta for Remezcla and contributor to refinery29’s Latine platform Somos. Yesika is the author of the best-sellers Corazón, Tesoro, and Hermosa, published with Not a Cult.
Jasmine Williams
Executive Director / Producer / Host
Jasmine is an artist and producer from South Central Los Angeles. She holds 16 years of residencies that provide equitable creative art programming and is a current CA Creative Corps Fellow. She has worked with Youth Speaks, Say Word LA, B.R.I.D.G.E. Theatre Co., ArtworxLA, & Angels Gate Cultural Center. She has created work featured on FOX, HBO, PBS, & Facebook just to name a few.
Jasmine serves the community to amplify the voices of those brave enough to be heard. She loves mint chocolate chip ice cream, and on her time off she is a UNO champion, a VIP member of Twilight #TeamEdward, before falling asleep to episodes of Hey Arnold or The Office.
Alyesha M Wise
Host/Coach
Alyesha Wise is an award-winning, published poet, educator & speaker from Camden, N.J. Currently residing in LA, she is the co-founder of Spoken Literature Art Movement and the Director of Programming for Street Poets, Inc., an organization mostly serving juvenile injustice-involved youth with mentorship and arts programming.
Alyesha has been featured on platforms and in publications such as OWN TV, BET, LA Times, Bustle, Afropunk, PBS, Buzzfeed and more. Other collabs include the ACLU, The Shabazz Center, The Nantucket Project, Brave New Films and the Google Interstellar Project. Ron Howard once wrote about Alyesha's work, "Very Powerful.”
Lawford
Musical Feature Coordinator
Lawford Campbell, also known as @mentalkryptonite, has been creating music since the age of 7, starting with the recorder before mastering the saxophone and piano. Drawing inspiration from iconic artists such as Chick Corea, Doobie Powell, and Lonnie Liston Smith, Campbell’s style seamlessly blends modern jazz, R&B, gospel, and funk. Current projects include "The Most Dangerous Artist Alive" and "Sirens." While living in Taiwan, Campbell studied under Musa, who provided foundational training in ear development and emphasized the meditative nature of playing music. Collaborations include performances with Tay Walker and UMI, with features on Black and Sexy Television and BET. Dedicated to pushing musical boundaries, Campbell continues to craft innovative and timeless soundscapes.
DJ Faucet
With an undeniable love for music, and an irresistible passion for djing - Compton bread FAUCET has been saving the community one DJ set at a time. Her story has not been one of overnight success, but rather a tale of unshakable faith and courageous determination to bring her dreams into reality.
DJ Always
DJ Alwayz was born and raised in California. He became a DJ in 1996 and has had the pleasure of spinning for many TV shows such as The Parkers, Myesha, Smart Guy, Jamie Foxx Show, What I Like About You & more. He was also Nickelodeon’s DJ for 10 years, then graduated to SiriusXM Foxxhole Ch. 96 afternoon drive mix every Friday. DJ Alwayz currently spins for old school hip-hop group, Digital Underground with Money B and Young Humpty Hump.
VON
Von ‘DaWizard’ Bellows, a DJ, artist, and poet, has been into entertainment since 2006 to help overcome his speech impediment. Performing poetry around the country, Von has toured and competed in poetry slam nationally, including winning the 2013 ‘Louder Than A Bomb’ College Slam & participating in both NPS & IWPS 2015. As a DJ, he has spun music for radio stations from North Carolina to California, Superbowl City 2016, Grey's Anatomy Season 20 Wrap Party, and became a celebrity ambassador DJ for Teen Cancer America in 2023.
Currently, Von serves as a Producer for The Woody Show with iHeartMedia, is a songwriter, and spreads creativity while running his company, Xistance Media, to support fellow emerging artists.
Lauren Boone
Head of Productions / Development
Lauren is a producer/director for stage and screen from the Bay Area. Previously she worked in Media & Development for Renaissance Literary & Talent with a focus on media and development and adaptations, and as the co-founder / resident director and head of marketing for Third Culture Theatre company in Los Angeles.
Isla Martinez
Social Media Manager
Stephanie Castellano
Administrative Director
With a decade of experience in administration and management, Stephanie possesses a sharp eye for detail and excellent problem-solving skills, allowing her to tackle challenges with creativity and efficiency.
When not working, Stephanie enjoys traveling and being active outdoors. She firmly believes in the importance of self-care and pursuing one's passions both in and outside of the professional realm.
Derrick Harris, Ed.D
Board Member/Partnerships
Dr. Harris is a native of South Los Angeles, California. He holds a Doctorate of Education in Organizational Change and Leadership from the University of Southern California. With almost 15years of combined experience innonprofit management and highereducation administration, Dr. Harris is anon-profit and fundraising consultant. Hesits on various boards, has served as afacilitator at professional conferencesand worked with public officialsthroughout California to advocate forsocial justice, education, healthcare, andthe visual and performing arts.
Courtnie Everidge
Board Member/Treasury
Courtnie Everidge is a daughter, sister, hard worker, an avid traveler, and has an affinity for changing her hairstyles often. She graduated from San Francisco State University with a B.A. degree in Business Management.
Over the years she has enjoyed and become enamored by the creativity and vulnerability artists display weekly at Da Poetry Lounge.