I am a storyteller and changemaker.
I am a Guayaquil-born social researcher, public speaker, and interdisciplinary artist based in Orlando.
Learn more about my work and how to reach me below, or check out my CV. Buy my book or subscribe to my newsletter.
As a storyteller, I reimagine the margins as sites of possibility, honoring both tradition and innovation.
Writing
My creative writing revisits ancestral memories and documents personal shifts, immortalizing spiritual discoveries through magical realism.
My feature writing highlights and celebrates the stories and experiences of historically disenfranchised communities and/or individuals.
Selected Works (Poetry Feature), eXpuestXs a lo experimental, El BeiSmAn PrESs
Selected Works (Poetry Feature), University of Chicago Magazine
"Love Is Life Force": A Conversation with ALOK (Profile Feature), ICONIQA
HAMPI is published by For the Birds Trapped in Airports.
For book-related engagements, please contact Mind the Bird Media at heather@mindthebirdmedia.com.
Performance
My live readings borrow from my poetry collections and my personal essays.
As a performer, whether on stage or on set, my work mindfully navigates context, language, and emotion in scripted stories. My accessible devising practice employs both creative writing and movement.
As a facilitator, I explore works that are alive in diverse bodies and move audiences toward greater collective empathy. I prioritize process with authentic creation and support care with community-oriented practices.
#StopHIVTogether (Video Campaign), For All Humans
The Gist (Poetry Reading), iO Theater Chicago
Midnight Marauders Story Hour (Poetry Reading), Vulgar Geniuses Orlando
Authentic Selves Reading Series (Poetry Reading), Timucua Arts Foundation Orlando
HAMPI & faith/fe (Poetry Reading), Under the Umbrella Bookstore Salt Lake City
For stage or screen performance engagements, please contact hello@rivercoello.com.
As a changemaker, my work promotes the holistic development and advancement of all.
I help groups and individuals identify growth opportunities and navigate sustainable change, paying special attention to those with historically marginalized abilities and identities.
Speaking & Facilitation
In speeches, presentations, workshops, and interviews, I invite people to operate with authenticity, grapple with systems, and connect across differences. I also help identify and improve organizational efforts connected to equity and inclusion.
Additionally, I design and facilitate generative spaces for learning and growth. Learning topics include intergroup relations, multimodal storytelling, and mixed-methods research. Coaching spaces support life transitions through meditative and integrative practices.
Moderator, Highlighting Untold Latina/x/e Experiences, Google
Keynote Speaker, Trans Day of Visibility, University of Chicago
Facilitator, Storytelling as Power, University of Chicago
Moderator, Creative Reflections, Omnicom Group
Speaker, Building Coalitions for Institutional Change, TransTech Summit
Panelist, Beyond Pride Month, VistaPrint
For online speaking engagements via the WE CREATE SPACE platform, please contact hello@wecreatespace.co. For in-person speaking engagements, please contact hello@rivercoello.com.
Research & Strategy
I manage and support mixed-methods research projects, from ideation to dissemination, with a particular interest in the fields of health and education, and their intersections. I have also participated in and led advocacy and organizing efforts for increasing access and success for marginalized communities in these fields.
Presenter, Evaluating SOGI measurement changes: A pilot study from a nationally representative panel, AAPOR
Co-Presenter, AmeriSpeak Spotlight Series: Social Media Recruitment, NORC
Co-Presenter, AmeriSpeak SOGI measurement: Toward more inclusive panel recruitment questions, NORC
Co-Presenter, Exploring dimensions of SOGI: A qualitative study with adults and teens, NORC
For NORC-related inquiries, please contact coello-river@norc.org. For other professional inquiries, please contact hello@rivercoello.com.