Meet the Team
Amanda Shea
Executive Producer
Amanda Shea is a Black, queer creative at the intersection of poetry, music, social justice, and culture. WBUR lauds her EP, God, Again, as “bridging the gap between poetry and music,” seamlessly blending spoken word with genres such as hip-hop, rap, rock, opera, jazz, R&B, and contemporary sounds. With work featured in the Museum of Fine Arts, the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, The Boston Globe, TEDx, Netflix, Prime Video, BBC News, and GBH, Shea’s voice honors African and Puerto Rican oral traditions while pushing the boundaries of what poetry can be—and who can access it. Her art reflects her personal life, explores social justice issues, and serves as a means of healing from trauma.
Essmaa Litim
Operations Manager
Essmaa Litim is an award-winning spoken word artist, author, cultural curator, and marketing strategist. Voted Spoken Word Artist of the Year at the 2025 Boston Music Awards and recognized as an Extraordinary Woman by the City of Boston in 2023, her voice has reached platforms including TEDx, PUMA, Moderna, WGBH, Gillette Stadium, and more. She is the founder of Femme Flo, a sold-out poetry experience centering femme voices through performance, panels, and workshops, spaces designed not just to showcase talent, but to affirm it. Through workshops at universities and organizations, and writing featured in multiple anthologies, Essmaa uses poetry as a tool for reflection, expression, and collective healing. A graduate of Bentley University with over 8 years of marketing experience, Essmaa is currently pursuing her Master of Public Health while using storytelling as a tool for healing and cultural impact.