Ashley Simmons, professionally known as Ashley Mae, was born and raised in the D.C., Maryland, Virginia area. Ashley graduated from Brandeis University with her B.A. in English and Creative Writing with honors, and from the University of Pennsylvania with her Master of Science (M.S.) in Organizational Dynamics in 2021. Her work focuses on Marketing and Brand Storytelling/Architecture for the organizations she works with, as well as Organizational Consulting and Executive Coaching. Ashley uses her passion and expertise within writing to help brands and people bring their stories to life, while maintaining structure, strategy, and mission within overall goals. Ashley is skilled in writing and editing SEO-friendly content, web and social media copy, email and marketing campaigns, blog articles, pitch decks, press releases, video scripts, podcasts, and more.

Ashley has also led diversity, equity, inclusion, and anti-racism programming, training, and wellness workshops for educational institutions and organizations throughout the United States.  She believes in the importance of representation, inclusion, and diversity and focuses on demonstrating that in her work with people and brands as a writer, coach, and consultant.

Ashley is a recipient of the Bruce R. Mayper Memorial Award for her work with interracial amity and relations and the Andrew Grossbardt Memorial Poetry Prize.  She has also received honorable mention for the Ramon Feliciano Poetry Prize with the American Academy of Poets. “Origins: Lamentations of the Blackbird” is her first collection of prose, poetry, and short stories. Her second book in the Origins Trilogy titled “Origins: The Hummingbird’s Heart” was released in February 2021.