Staff – Generation Verb

S T A F F

C E O / F O U N D E R

Kraal “Kayo” Charles

Kraal “Kayo” Charles

Kraal “Kayo” Charles is a Brooklyn-born performer, playwright, and producer whose artistry bridges poetry, theatre, and education. His voice has resonated across stages, screens, and airwaves around the globe, making him one of the most dynamic figures to emerge from New York City’s spoken word movement.

A trailblazer in performance poetry, Kayo became the youngest Grand Slam Champion at the legendary Nuyorican Poets Café in 1998 and went on to perform before thousands at the Harlem Book Fair and millions during the Times Square New Year’s Eve Ball Drop. Featured in HBO’s Def Poetry Jam and the documentaries Bone Bristle and Hughes’ Dreams Harlem, Kayo has shared stages with literary giants Maya Angelou, Terry McMillan, and Chinua Achebe. He has also performed at major fundraisers for Senator Charles Schumer and Congressman Gregory Meeks, and at cultural landmarks such as Lincoln Center and the Apollo Theater.

As the founder of Kraal Charles Media, LLC, Kayo has built one of the nation’s most innovative spoken word organizations using poetry and theatre as vehicles for empowerment, education, and social dialogue. His original productions HerStory, The Male Ego, and his acclaimed one-man show Growing Up Daddy explore identity, fatherhood, and emotional truth with authenticity and heart.

Kayo is also the founder and CEO of Generation Verb, a performance poetry based educational program that cultivates literacy, confidence, creativity, and social emotional learning in students through workshops, competitions, and community events. With the mission to Inspire Greatness, Generation Verb helps young people find their voice, strengthen essential life skills, and build the courage to lead and perform on and off the stage.

Through his artistry and leadership, Kraal “Kayo” Charles continues to inspire audiences to find strength in vulnerability, to celebrate the power of words, and to Inspire Greatness in schools, on stage, and throughout the community.

MANAGEMENT

Program Manager

Ramya Ramana

Ramya Ramana is an award-winning American author, poet, lyricist and writer. She was born, raised and currently resides in New York. Ramana won the NY Knicks Poetry Slam, which awarded her a full tuition scholarship to St. John’s University. Soon after, she became the Youth Poet Laureate of NYC. She has since performed at events such as the US Open, Tribeca Film Festival, TV One’s “Verses and Flow,” Pharrell’s Adidas Campaign, SONY TV’s Asian Women in the Arts Awards, the Immigrant Gala, Apollo Theatre Slam Finals, Celebrate Bklyn!, the Source Magazine Festival and many more. Her work can be found on the Poetry Foundation and Academy of American Poets websites and in Seventh Wave and the Southampton Review. Ramana published her first collection of poems through Penmanship Books, which was released at Lincoln Center. In addition to performing and writing, Ramana has also worked as an educator and mentor for young poets and young women. She received her MFA in creative writing from the New School. Ramana is currently working as a librettist for an operetta film. Her hope is to remain a student of wonder and to explore truth sincerely through her work and her life.

for business inquiries | ramya@generationverb.com

Finance and Budget Manager

Sharisse Cunningham-Austin

Sharisse Cunningham-Austin (aka “RealEyesMi’) is a Business Owner, Poet, Performer, and Public Speaker. She is the CEO and Founder of Cunningham Administrative Professionals, LLC; a small business that provides administrative support to business owners and other professionals in need of organizational and administrative services. As a Poet, she has performed across the country as well as internationally on many different venues and platforms. She has worked with Kraal Charles Media, LLC since 2015 and has contributed to the development of several productions. Her passion for poetry fuels her desire to ensure the company runs in an organized and efficient manner; as she takes great pride in the accomplishments of the company.

for business inquiries | sharisse@generationverb.com

SENIOR FACILITATOR

Poet | Senior Facilitator | Media Consultant

Advocate of Wordz

An award winning performing poet, certified breeder of mythical creatures, and educator who teaches his students how to talk their way out of detention. Wordz’s work has been featured/covered by the LA Times, CNN, Univision, PBS, and more. From classrooms, to stages, to animations explaining obscure facts about poetry, Advocate endeavors to remind people how entertaining it is to speak up.

Senior Facilitator | Poet | Actor

David Roberts, aka D-Black

David Roberts aka D-Black is a 1st generation American Bronx-native who loves writing & performing. He blends social/psychological awareness with urban/Afrocentric flavor promoting Black awareness and unity. He’s done so at the Apollo, NJPAC, African Burial Grounds, Nuyorican Poets Café, Barnes & Nobles, the Schomburg Center, Knitting Factory, Symphony Space, & Bowery Poets Café. He had stand-out performances in his one-man show, “The Black Experience”. The video for his poem, “I Apologize” has hit over 10 million views on Facebook. He’s featured in the hit series, Orange Is The New Black, Daredevil (Season 3), Wu-Tang Series, FBI: Most Wanted, & Harlem on Amazon Prime. He is the 2018 Audelco Award Winner for Best Lead Actor in a Play and is in the off-Broadway success, “Black Angels Over Tuskegee”.

Senior Facilitator | Poet | Musician

Bonafide Rojas

Bonafide Rojas is a Poet, Musician & has five collections of poetry: Excelsior, Notes On The Return To The Island, Renovatio, When The City Sleeps & Pelo Bueno. He is a Letras Boricuas Mellon Fellow, A BRIO award winner & has appeared on Def Poetry Jam. He’s performed at Lincoln Center, Brooklyn Museum, Philadelphia Museum Of Art, Bowery Ballroom, Konvent Zero Barcelona, Spoken Word Paris, Latinale Berlin, Hafen Lesung Hamburg & Festival De La Palabra Puerto Rico. A nuyorican rock & roller, an avid collector of pop culture & Rojas only wears red socks.