Gabriel Cortez is a poet, educator, and organizer based in the Bay Area, California. He is the inaugural poet in residence at The Ecology Center and Shelterwood Collective, where he uses poetry to uplift local legacies of resistance rooted in environmental justice and food and land sovereignty.

A long-time arts educator, Gabriel helps writers find their creative community and author more just and liberated worlds. He brings more than 15 years of experience working with youth and adult writers, both in and out of school. Gabriel regularly leads writing and performance workshops, provides one-on-one coaching, and offers professional development opportunities for educators interested in helping their students cultivate a joyful relationship with their voice.

Gabriel’s work has appeared in The New York Times, The Rumpus, The Breakbeat Poets Anthology Volume 4, and elsewhere. A VONA and Poetry Incubator alum, he has received awards from the University of California, Palette Poetry, and Yerba Buena Center for the Arts. Gabriel is of Black, white, and Panamanian descent. His work explores power, identity, belonging, and gold teeth.