Sonya Renee is easily the most distinguished, accomplished and recognizable female in the world of Slam Poetry, and rightly so.  After a meteoric rise to poetry superstardom in 2004, Sonya has redefined the role and impact of women in slam since her whirlwind arrival on the scene, consistently ranking at the top of every major national and international poetry slam every year since then. 

Sonya's success can be attributed to her commitment to writing poetry that stays true to her roots as a social activist and women's rights advocate.  The socially conscious wordsmith became the National Poetry Slam Champion only 4 months into her slam career in '04, and followed this amazing achievement with back to back top 8 finishes at the Individual World Poetry Slam Championship, a 2nd place finish at the International Poetry Slam Championship in 2005, and a 1st place finish at the Four Continents European National Slam Championship in 2006.  Sonya put her socially conscious words into action by performing in front of over 1 million spectators in Washington D.C. alongside Hillary Clinton at a historic 2004 March for Women's Rights Rally.  The First Lady of Slam has also seen commercial success with appearances on HBO's Def Poetry Jam, and the hit reality series "Monique's Fat Chance" on the Oxygen Network.

With all her success, Sonya has still found time to devote herself to the causes she has fought for since her teenage years, even earning her Master's in Non-profit Management.  She has held every position from peer educator to trainer, to program director  for numerous organizations around the country dealing with issues ranging from at-risk youth, HIV/AIDS  to prostitution, incarceration and inequality. She currently serves as the Capacity Building and Training Director for the Black AIDS Institute in Los Angeles, CA and serves on the National Board of Directors for the arts and activism organization, Blackout Arts Collective.