Phil Kaye

Gigi Bella has been ranked the tenth best woman poet in the world (WOWPS 2017), the two time Project X Bronx Poetry Champion and a National Poetry Slam Champion. She currently has 100,000+ views on YouTube with mega poetry conglomerate, Button Poetry. Her book, big feelings, is available through Game Over Books and is a Small Press Distribution Bestseller. Her one woman show of the same title made its international debut at the 2024 Edinburgh Fringe Festival in Edinburgh, Scotland. She will make her feature film debut in 2025 with A24 in Ari Aster’s forthcoming work.

Usman Hameedi is a Pakistani-American scientist, poet, educator. He also serves on Mass Poetry’s Board of Directors. Since 2008, he has competed in and coached for collegiate, national, and international level poetry slams. Usman has been featured on The Huffington Post, Intima: A Journal of Narrative Medicine, and The Story Collider: Storytelling for Scientists podcast. His first full-length collection, Staying Right Here, is forthcoming by Button Poetry (2023). Usman was a Mass Poetry Artist in Residence and worked with students in Hyde Park and Salem. He has also worked with other educators on how they can incorporate poetry into their classroom communities. Usman is shaping his career around his missions and ideals. His proudest moments are helping others see the genius within themselves!