Ivory Bennet is a Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania native and former foster youth with seventeen years of lived experience inside the child welfare system. During her time in care, Ivory lived in roughly ten different foster homes, four kinship care homes, and one shelter. Ivory also has Type 1 Diabetes (also known as Juvenile Diabetes) – a motivating factor behind her passion for the healing potential and power of art, especially writing; she is a poet, playwrite, and journalist. 

Ivory’s strong commitment to education equity and foster care advocacy led her to obtain a  Master of Education Administration degree as well as a Bachelor of Arts dual degree from The University of Pittsburgh in African Studies and English Literature, with a minor in Theatre Arts Performance. Currently, Ivory works as a Manager of Teacher Leadership & Development with Teach for America: Dallas Fort-Worth and recently served as a dual-accredited English teacher and cheer coach at a Title 1 Collegiate Academy. 

Outside of work and study, she loves to travel internationally, try new vegan dishes, and tend to her plants.