Dasha Kelly is a writer, performance artist and creative change agent. She has authored award-winning poetry, essays and fiction. She is a mainstage storyteller and host with The Moth, an alum of HBO's Def Poetry Jam, Poet Laureate Emerita for both the City of Milwaukee and the State of Wisconsin and a National Laureate Fellow with the American Academy of Poets. In 2024, Dasha was named a Living Legacy Honoree by the licensing agency for the legendary poet Gwendolyn Brooks. A skilled engagement practitioner and instructor, Dasha has facilitated initiatives in Botswana, Mauritius and Beirut as an Arts Envoy for the U.S. Embassy. Her nationally-touring stage show, Makin’ Cake, serves audiences a unique conversation on race, class and equity. Her nonprofit literary arts organization, Still Waters Collective, celebrates its 25th anniversary this year. Dasha released three books in 2025: a poetry anthology, A Line Meant (Jaded Ibis Press), and two novels Baker’s Dozen (Jaded Ibis) and a 10th anniversary reprint of Almost Crimson (Traitmarker Books).