Ashley Cornelius

Ashley Cornelius is the Pikes Peak Region Poet laureate. She is a nationally recognized poet. Her poetry reflects her intersectionality as a Black woman and works towards art equity. Ashley Cornelius is a Licensed Professional Counselor Candidate (LPCC) and is the manager of the RISE program at Denver Health, providing confidential peer support to Denver Health personnel.

She is a 2021 Colorado Springs Business Journal Rising Star. She is the 2019 gold winner of the Colorado Springs Independent Best of Artist Category. She competed at the Women of the World Poetry Slam in 2018. She has been featured at Tedx Colorado Springs, Pikes Peak Community College, the Colorado Springs Women’s March, and the Colorado Nonprofit Association and many other stages and venues. Ashley is the Co-Director of Poetry 719, a poetry group lifting the voices of marginalized communities and BIPOC folks through poetry. A

shley is a therapist and believes poetry is a powerful modality for healing. Ashley has a background in poetry education and was the Program Director of an art nonprofit in Denver focused on poetry workshops and curriculum. Ashley is committed to using poetry as a platform to speak up and out for marginalized groups and be a voice for those who have been silenced.