jenny c. lares was recognized as one of 15 AAPI women fiercely redefining women’s leadership by the National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum (NAPAWF) and Angry Asian Man. She is a graduate of the University of Maryland, and was the Founding Executive Director of Sulu DC, an arts organization with a mission of nurturing artistic growth and building connections and community within Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) communities in the DC metro area. A former open mic host at Busboys and Poets, she has featured locally at Artomatic, Mothertongue, and Bloombars, and has performed at the Mellon Auditorium, APIA Spoken Word & Poetry Summits, the Bowery Poetry Club in NYC, and the Asian Arts Initiative in Philadelphia. lares has also performed at Georgetown University, Johns Hopkins University, University of Maryland, Colorado State University, and Rutgers University. Her poems can be found in the anthology, Walang Hiya: literature taking risks toward liberatory practice, Tayo Literary Magazine, The Lantern Review and Bourgeon.