Julissa Rodríguez, a proud gender-expansive Queer Boricua, was born and raised in  Springfield, Massachusetts. Coming from a lineage of rebellious women, Rodríguez’s creative journey was inspired by their activist mother, a key figure in fostering peace among neighborhood gangs and advocating for the elders and youth in their community, as well as preserving Puerto Rican culture. This influence ignited a lasting passion within them. Rodríguez is a multifaceted artist, engaging in music, writing, arts facilitation, community organizing, cultural work, and both visual and performing arts. Their free expression through percussion, theater, dance, poetry and spoken word is meant to honor their African, Indigenous, and Queer Ancestors, open spaces for community building, connection and healing, and challenge patriarchal limitations placed on women and other marginalized genders. Julissa has been a featured artist, performer, speaker and facilitator in venues and educational centers around the country and across the globe. Their poetry is published in the anthology titled Pán•o•ply edited by Maria Luisa Arroyo Cruzado under the literary imprint MultiCreative Wisdom.