Kelly Zen-Yie Tsai

Kelly Zen-Yie Tsai is an award-winning spoken word poet and activist based in Brooklyn, NY, whose work addresses identity, culture, hip hop feminism, gender, domestic violence, sexual assault, Asian Pacific Islander American issues, voter enfranchisement, urban development, youth activism, war and non-violence.

In the last decade, the talented Chicago-native has performed or spoken at more than 500 venues in the U.S., Canada, China, England, France, Germany, Kenya, and Netherlands. These venues include the Nuyorican Poets Cafe, Lincoln Center, Kennedy Center, Apollo Theater in Harlem, Brooklyn Academy of Music, Brooklyn Museum of Art, Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, Idealist.org Campus Conference (2007), College Democrats National Convention (2008), Facing Race National Conference (2010), and the Campus Progress National Conference (2009, 2011). She has also been featured on "Russell Simmons Presents HBO Def Poetry" Seasons 4, 5, 6 and HBO’s "East of Main Street: Asians Aloud" 2010 & 2011. Most recently, she was the featured performer at Tyra Banks’ 2012 Flawsome Ball hosted by Drake.

Kelly specializes in 20- to 60-minute keynote performances where she performs a range of spoken word poems and speaks on topical issues raised by those poems as tailored to that particular event and community. She also offers half-week and full-week residencies that integrate spoken word arts and activism workshops, poetry slams, dance, and performances with full participation by the presenter’s community. Innovative and interactive, Kelly’s work crosses multiple genres and issues.