Emanuelee Bean, known as "Outspoken Bean," is a celebrated artist, mentor, and poet with a distinguished legacy in performance and arts advocacy. Born in New Jersey and raised in San Antonio, Texas, Bean made history as Houston's Poet Laureate through 2023 and was awarded the prestigious Academy of American Poets Laureate Fellowship (2022–2024).

Inspired by a desire to one day take the final stage at the National Poetry Slam, Bean embraced the advice of renowned slam poet Gypsee Yo, who said, “Create your own final stage.” From this guidance, Bean began curating live, poetry-based events, which led to the creation of the Woodson Black Fest. Now in its fourth installment, the festival is produced by Outspoken Bean in collaboration with the Contemporary Arts Museum Houston.

A passionate advocate for creative expression, Bean's electrifying performances have graced prestigious venues such as Carnegie Hall, the Hobby Center, and the Wortham Theater, earning him global recognition as an artist and cultural ambassador.

Mookie Copeland is an eclectic DJ and producer hailing from Virginia Beach, Virginia, with nearly 20 years of experience shaping unique musical landscapes. As one half of the Houston-based DJ duo Soul Control, Copeland has become a respected figure in the music scene, blending diverse genres and rhythms to create unforgettable sets. Known for his seamless transitions and deep connection with the crowd, he brings a soulful yet innovative approach to his craft. Copeland’s’s dedication to pushing boundaries and curating meaningful experiences keeps him at the forefront of the DJ/producer community.

The Native Houstonian has a Bachelor’s in Public Affairs and Community Service from University of North Texas (Denton). She creates art to help people love themselves to their fullest potential. She is a Nationally recognized Poet, Rapper, Singer, Host, Actor, Director, Writer, Educator and most importantly a Mother. She is an interdisciplinary Artist that authentically gives her life experiences via different mediums of art. She currently has five musical projects, three poetry albums, and one film streaming on several platforms. She featured on the 2024 Grammy Nominated album Taste the Sky. She organized her first eight city tour titled “The Consistence Tour” in 2024 through the platform Sofar Sounds. RichelleGemini directed, wrote, and starred in her film Waiting on the Plug streaming on Tubi. She cowrote and starred in the play Jack in the Beanstalk Hip Hop presented by the historic Ensemble Theater 2022-2024. She is always perpetually creating so there is so much more to come.

Jasmine Mans is a queer Black poet and performance artist from Newark, New Jersey. Jasmine’s debut poetry collection, Black Girl, Call Home (Berkley Penguin Random House) published in 2021 to critical and commercial acclaim, and was named one of the most anticipated books of the season by Oprah, TIME, Vogue, Vulture, Essence, Elle, Cosmopolitan, Marie Claire, Refinery 29, Shondaland, Bustle, and Reader’s Digest. The collection went on to receive the prestigious Stonewall Honor Award, as well as a BCALA Award in the Poetry category.

Mans most recently collaborated with the Brooklyn Ballet at the storied Brooklyn Academy of Music, setting her poetry to ballet and classical scores. Mans was also a contributor to Nikole Hannah-Jones’s The 1619 Project and has co-hosted The Kennedy Center’s Arts Across America series alongside renowned author Jason Reynolds.

Mans began her creative journey with the acclaimed Strivers Row poetry collective, and she continues to perform to sold-out crowds, like the Sundance Film Festival, Broadway’s New Amsterdam Theater, and BAM, among many others. Mans can currently be heard as the voice of Ulta Beauty’s national “Muse” campaign, honoring Black women in the hair and beauty industry.

Mans lives in Brooklyn, New York, where she operates her award-winning business Buy Weed from Women, a cannabis multimedia and product company celebrating and advocating for women within the cannabis industry. The Buy Weed from Women book was acquired at auction by DK, an imprint of Penguin Random House, and will be published in 2026.

Jasminne Mendez is a best-selling Dominican-American poet, translator, playwright, audio book narrator and award winning author of several books for children and adults. Including the middle grade novel in verse Aniana del Mar Jumps In (Dial) which received the 2024 Pura Belpre Honor Award. Her other books have received prizes from the Texas Institute of Letters, the Writer’s League of Texas and the International Latino Book Awards. She is an MFA graduate of the creative writing program at the Rainier Writing Workshop at Pacific Lutheran University and a University of Houston alumni. She is the Program Director for the literary arts non-profit Tintero Projects and she lives and works in Houston, Texas.