Heather 'Byrd' is not just an international award-winning poet and esteemed writing coach—she's ancestrally-guided catalyst of voice, story, and badassery. As the CEO of Byrd's World, she's on a divine mission to empower 1,000 women of color in utilizing their voices to craft and publish their books to transform lives one story at a time. 

Byrd is the queen of quirky and the author of Mahogany: A Love Letter To Black. Byrd’s accomplishments extend far and wide, including being celebrated in numerous festivals and publications including The Chicago Theatre Festival and the St. Louis Fringe with ​HERstory of HIStory and inHERitance: the stories we carry. Her work has also a ​contributor in Cagibi, Expressions of ​Englewood, Hope Ignited: Stories of Hope By Women For ​Women, and Trouble The Waters: Tales from the ​Deep Blue - a finalist for the World Fantasy Award and Locus Award. Most recently, she won the 2022 International Anthem ​Award in diversity, equity, and inclusion ​for her editorial and curation on the “I See You” issue of the Cornell Report ​alongside Google, HBO Max, BBC, ​National ​Geographic, Netflix, and The Daily Show with ​Trevor Noah.

In a world that needs amplification for the voices of women of color, Byrd ensures each person is heard, celebrated, and seen. She defies gravity and language, spreading wings and dreams as she creates a literary world she always imagined could exist through empowered storytelling. She is the High Priestess of HummingByrds, a lover of tacos and tea. Her favorite words are balloon and bubble.