Jessica Ayala is an Indigenous Colombian Two-Spirit multidisciplinary artist.

Miss Ayala is a spoken word poet, vocalist, keynote speaker, diversity trainer and writer-in-residence alumni of Charlotte Street Foundation. Their work is a fusion of her heritage creating spaces to celebrate Brown joy through oral tradition, storytelling, poetry, songwriting, and native percussion.

Her collection of poetry, entitled Huelga, is a multidimensional experience celebrating all the facets of Brown resilience. A collection inspired by the love she has for her Indigenous heritage and the untold stories of undocumented families during her time as a community organizer. She is currently on tour with Huelga inviting students across campuses to explore the concepts of decolonization. Miss Ayala is also a diversity and inclusion trainer with twenty five years of experience as a facilitator.

Ayala immigrated to the United States at the age of three, publishing her first series of poems for the Young Authors Conference at the age of eight. Her current poetry has been published in two anthologies winning an Honorable Medal in the 2017 International Latino Book Awards. Additionally, Miss Ayala is the recipient of the 2018 Best Kansas City Spoken Word Artist Award and was recently awarded the 2020 Civil and Human Rights Award by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP).