Leilani is an award-winning, internationally ranked spoken word poet and multi-disciplinary theater artist hailing from Honolulu and currently based in Brooklyn, New York. In just a year and a half of poetry, Leilani has performed extensively across New York City and Honolulu including having opened for Rupi Kaur along with featuring at over 25+ events at prominent venues such as the Bowery Poetry Club and has led workshops at universities like NYU and organizations like the Poetry Society of New York. In the slam poetry circuit, she has garnered multiple awards, including winning the Brooklyn Poetry Slam at BRIC, the Honolulu Poetry Slam, multiple slams at the renowned Nuyorican Poetry Cafe and being ranked in the top 30 at the Womxn of the World Poetry Slam. Leilani holds a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre Studies from Chapman University and is the founder and host of the Sakura Series (@sakura.series), where she has produced, hosted, and curated over 15 events. This writing workshop, open mic, and slam series is dedicated to fostering growth and self-development in its participants. Her work is driven by a deep commitment to addressing the issues and injustices she witnesses in the world, believing strongly in the power of spoken word as a platform to amplify unheard stories and marginalized voices. For her, writing and performing are both an honor and a privilege, and she looks forward to continuing her creative journey for a lifetime.