ROCHELLE RILEY

Rochelle Riley, writer by trade, warrior by necessity, spent almost 20 years at the Detroit Free Press as a nationally syndicated columnist and fierce advocate for children and women before becoming the City of Detroit’s Director of Arts and Culture, overseeing the Office of Arts, Culture and Entrepreneurship until 2026. An inductee into the Michigan, North Carolina and National Association of Black Journalists Halls of Fame, she is author of two books and a national expert on creative entrepreneurship. She now is co-producing a musical about the life of Robert Smalls and completing her first novel. Learn more about her at www.rochelleriley.com.