Nicole Tong is the author of the Jean Feldman Poetry Prize winning collection, How to Prove a Theory. She has received fellowships from the Vermont Studio Center and Virginia Center for the Creative Arts and has served as a writer in residence at Frank Lloyd Wright's Pope-Leighey House.

Richard Blanco served as President Obama's inaugural poet and is the first Latino, immigrant, and gay person to do so. He is the author of three collections of poetry and two memoirs. He is a Woodrow Wilson Fellow and has received numerous honorary doctorates.

Clint Smith is a PhD candidate at Harvard University and the author of Counting Descent, 2017 BCALA Literary award winner and NAACP Image award finalist. He is a 2014 National Poetry Slam champion and his writing has been published in The New Yorker, The Atlantic, The New Republic, and elsewhere.

Melissa Smith is a National Board Certified ELA teacher and author. She is 2017 District Teacher of the Year and a NCETA Board member. She's given presentations at NCTIES, WVELA, WLU, NCTE, AP Annual Conference, and Keynote Speaker at NCETA Spring Symposium. She is the creator of the #TeachLivingPoets hashtag and edublog.

Scott Bayer is a grades 6–12 English language arts instructional specialist in Montgomery County Public Schools, MD. He works with 70 middle and high schools, focusing on personalized learning and creating more inclusive reading experiences for students. He is also the cofounder of #THEBOOKCHAT.