Author, Speaker, and Recovering Rusher
Hazel Monae is a writer, seasoned leader, and recovering rusher who has spent 15 years navigating the intersections of equity and healing. From her time in nationally-recognized religious institutions to her work in local government, Hazel has been at the forefront of designing the "blueprints" for a more just “hood”.
As the founder of Justice Dreams, LLC, she has taken her prophetic voice from the podcast airwaves to the training spaces, building curricula for 35,000-person memberships and facilitating high-stakes conflict transformation. Now, she is turning that same strategic eye inward, documenting her journey from a lifetime of "survival sprinting" to the radical, unhurried life she leads today.
Hazel's upcoming perspective memoir, Rushing to Adulthood: Lessons in Unhurried Healing, is a testament that a personal journey of rushing and healing can both shape the trajectory of a professional career and connect to a collective striving for freedom. Having spent a lifetime navigating the complex intersections of marginalization, poverty, and being the eldest daughter (if you know, you know) in an unhealthy family system, she has used those lived experiences to usher in her healing. Her work is not just a career—it is a personal calling to help others find their own paths to unhurried living and authentic leadership.
When she’s not busy unlearning the hustle or busting up laughing on her podcast, you can find Hazel feeding her budding urban homestead dreams, mastering a jigsaw puzzle, or nerding out over 3D Sudoku. She lives, loves, and works in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area, reminding everyone she meets that our broken crayons still color with a depth that perfection never could.