Bio

Described as a multipotentialite, St. Louis native, Cheeraz Gormon is a cross genre writer, multi-medium storyteller, and public speaker whose work spans across the art forms of poetry, essay writing, photography, film production, music, and advertising. She is a community centered social entrepreneur, and helping professional devoted to the visibility, care, and healing of underserved, and marginalized populations. 

As a poet, and storyteller, Cheeraz has opened for Dr. Cornell West, Dr. Dennis Kimbrow, MacArthur Genius honoree, Dr. Deborah Willis, and has hosted events for Left Bank Books in St. Louis, MO, and St. Louis Public Radio. She is a 2x TEDxGatewayArch speaker, and her poetry has been featured in Ebony Magazine, Huffington Post, St. Louis Public Radio, and performed on stages nationally, and internationally. Her first collection of poetry, and writings, “In The Midst of Loving,” was released in March of 2015 on the Alchemy 7 imprint to rave reviews. From 2017-2019, Cheeraz served as storytelling fellow at InPower Institute in St. Louis, MO where she founded, Black Womxn Playwright Workshop to cultivate talent, and discover new voices in playwriting. She was recently appointed founding faculty member at InPower Institute where she has launched the InPower Institute- Living Library Archive. Under the leadership of St. Louis’ first poet laureate, the late Michael Castro, she was founding committee member of the St. Louis Brick City Poetry Festival. For her work in, and contribution to the literary arts, Cheeraz was selected as an apexart International Arts Fellow in 2016, named Outstanding Working Artist Honoree by the St. Louis Visionary Awards in 2018, and is a St. Louis Regional Arts Commission 2019 Artist Fellow. Cheeraz’s poetry is currently featured on Yoruba Records EP, “Racially Charged,” produced by renowned house music producer and artist, Osunlade. 

While attending St. Louis Community College- Forest Park in St. Louis, MO for commercial photography and creative writing, Cheeraz started her career in advertising at a small ad agency named, Schomoo Creative in 1999 as the in-house photographer, and administrative assistant. In 2001, while assisting the late photographer, Pete Jones at Studio 612, she flipped to a page in the PDN Magazine advertising, Miami Ad School where she would graduate from in April 2005. Shortly after graduation, Cheeraz accepted a job with legendary African-American advertising agency, Burrell Communication in Chicago, IL. During her tenure at Burrell, she served as a copywriter on Toyota, Olay, Allstate, Courvoisier, McDonald’s, Verizon, and was the lead writer for the launch of Procter & Gamble's My Black is Beautiful, which endures to this day.

In September of 2008, Cheeraz was faced with a destiny dilemma which resulted in her pulling out of her job offer as oncoming assistant creative director at SpikeDDB in New York to join W+K12 at Wieden+Kennedy- Portland, OR, as a student. During her time in W+K12 she fashioned herself into a hybrid- copywriter/account planner/creative director while working on Wordstock, Blue Note Records 70th Year Anniversary, and an independent research project supported by Wieden+Kennedy- Portland, OR to explore the lifestyles, and beliefs of people who identified as urban males. Following her graduation from W+K12, she joined Wieden+Kennedy- Portland as a copywriter and account planner from 2009-2011 where she worked on Coca-Cola, American Indian Foundation, Target, Nike, and Nike Foundation’s Girl Effect. Her spot, “The Clock is Ticking,” for Nike Foundation was awarded highest honors at Nike the year of its release, and received a TED Ads Worth Spreading honor in the awards inaugural year.

As a staunch advocate for racial, cultural, gender, ability, and socio-economic equity in hiring, mentoring, and sponsoring practices in the advertising industry, Cheeraz served as curriculum, and creative director of The Marcus Graham Project, iCR8™ Bootcamp from 2008-2013. She continues to mentor talent in the advertising industry, and currently works as a freelance copywriting, and creative director with ad agencies around the country.     

Following the tragic loss of her youngest brother, John Gormon, Jr. in August of 2013, Cheeraz founded Sibling Support Network, an organization dedicated to the needs of people who have lost blood-related or fictive kin siblings to violent crime. In her role as founder and executive director of, Sibling Support Network, she speaks publicly about the impact of losing a sibling to violent crime on living siblings, and directly provides support, and referrals to those in need. In 2018, she was featured in TIME Magazine's, Guns in America issue for her work with Sibling Support Network. Cheeraz is a nationally certified adult Mental Health First Aid instructor, and member of The STL Community Health Workers (CHW) Coalition.