Leslé Honoré

Leslé Honoré is the CEO of Urban Gateways, Co-Chair of Elevated Chicago, and was appointed by Chicago’s Mayor Brandon Johnson as Co-Chair of the Arts and Culture Transition Team, and to the city’s Women’s Advisory and Cultural Advisory Councils.

Honoré attended Xavier University in Louisiana, where she studied English literature and Spanish. Her work has been featured by The New York Times, The Chicago Tribune, The Sun Times, Good Morning America, Nightline, NPR, WTTW, ABC7, and other national outlets.

Her first book of poetry, Fist & Fire, was self-published in 2017. Her first children’s book, Brown Girl, Brown Girl, was published in 2024 by Hachette Book Group.

She lives in Chicago with her children, Sage, Solomon, and Scarlett.