As writer, performer, TED speaker, emerging playwright, coach and mentor, Outspoken Bean has traveled the United States and the World performing his original works and inspiring young people to give voice to their own creativity. He is a cornerstone of Houston’s spoken work community and cultural scene. A Texas Poet Laureate nominee ranked 25th in the 2012 Individual World Poetry Slam, Outspoken Bean began performing spoken-word in 2003. In 2006, he made the poetry slam teams for both San Antonio and Houston.
Bean has worked with the Harris County Department of Education, Writers in the Schools, Houston’s Young Audiences: Arts for Learning and Texas Commission for the Arts, Houston Grand Opera, and among others. He also serves as the Program Director, Lead Coach and mentor for Meta-Four Houston, a non-profit organization that uses reading, creative writing, poetry and performance techniques to increase literacy, instill critical thinking, intersect cultures and inspire leadership in today’s youth.