[2] Salgado dropped out of John Marshall High School when she was 18 years old, and worked a series of retail jobs while writing her poetry.
[3] In 2005, Salgado started posting her work online at HipHopPoetry.com, where she had created a false identity under the name Yesika Starr.
After she was banned three years later for plagiarizing a Ricardo Arjona song, the site's founder encouraged her to read at the open mic night at Da Poetry Lounge, where she began performing under her own name.
[4] During this time Salgado frequently shared her work on Instagram, building a large social media following.
[8] The organization hosts frequent open mic/performance nights for women-identified poets of color to share their work.