Monica Raye Simpson is the Executive Director of SisterSong, the southern-based national Women of Color Reproductive Justice Collective. Monica is a proud Black Queer Feminist born and raised in rural North Carolina and is a graduate of Johnson C. Smith University, a historically black university (HBCU). For nearly 20 years, Monica has been organizing for LGBTQ liberation, civil and human rights, and sexual and reproductive justice. As a creative and cultural strategist, Monica lives by the charge set by Nina Simone that says, “It’s an artist’s duty to reflect the times” and is deeply committed to using the power of cultural organizing to educate the masses and dismantle systems of oppression. Monica is also a member of the Trust Web and has been committed to dismantling poverty mindsets and organizing across class to develop pathways for personal and systemic transformation around wealth. She is certified in “Power, Innovation & Leadership from the Harvard Kennedy School and has been featured on major news outlets such as MSNBC, CNN and Democracy Now. Monica has received numerous awards for her innovative leadership including – Fast Company Queer 50 awardee, STATUS List awardee, being named a New Civil Rights Leader by Essence Magazine and being named as one of TIME 100’s most influential people of 2023.