“Words create worlds but only with the power of human vulnerability.”
— Malachi Rivers

A Spoken Word Poetry Workshop

to Reclaim or Strengthen Your Inner Voice & Delivery

What Sets Our Workshop Apart

01 / Wellbeing

Providing a guided, creative outlet with written and spoken word poetry for emotional expression, stress relief, and personal reflection.

02 / Communication

Building confidence in public speaking, active listening, and the ability to articulate ideas with clarity and impact in a creative and fun manner.

03 / Authentic Connection:

Breaking down invisible barriers and fostering deep empathy through shared vulnerability and verbal release.

Why Spoken Word Works

In an era of digital burnout and disconnected groups, traditional communication seminars often fall flat. Spoken word is a proven, interactive framework that bypasses the "professional filter," engaging three critical skills simultaneously to drive lasting impact:

SPOKEN CARE WORKSHOP - LOS ANGELES

  • Participants learn to slow down, process complex emotions, and distill their lived experiences into clear, impactful language. This guided reflection builds deep self-awareness, relieves stress, and enhances emotional intelligence.

  • By prioritizing passion and storytelling over perfection, spoken word demystifies public speaking. It empowers individuals to overcome fear, find their authentic voice, and command a room with confidence rather than jargon.

  • Spoken word requires an actively engaged audience. Creating a space where people are truly heard without interruption accelerates trust, breaks down invisible silos, and transforms passive groups into a deeply empathetic, unified community.

The Experience

Inside the Room: The Spoken Word Experience

Forget the trust falls and stale icebreakers. Led by Grammy-nominated featured artist Malachi Rivers, this is an interactive, high-energy creative session designed to drop guards and elevate voices. Here is what happens in the room:

  • Malachi sets the tone the best way he knows how—on the mic. The session kicks off with a live, room-shifting spoken word performance to establish a baseline of vulnerability, energy, and inspiration.

  • We demystify the art form. Through low-stakes, highly engaging writing prompts, participants learn how to mine their own lives and observations for powerful material. No poetry experience required—just a willingness to put pen to paper.

  • Moving from the page to the stage. Malachi shares industry-level performance techniques used on stages like The Apollo—teaching breath control, pacing, eye contact, and how to physically own a narrative.

  • The culminating moment. The room transforms into a supportive "cypher" (a traditional spoken word circle). Participants step up to share their pieces, met with snaps, cheers, and profound mutual respect from their peers.

Workshop Formats

Curated Experiences: The Spoken Word Experience

We can customize a spoken word poetry format for any company, school, or organization, ensuring it is both enjoyable and effective in achieving your goals for creative expression.

SPOKEN CARE WORKSHOP - HARLEM, NY

  • A high-energy, fast-paced injection of creativity and connection. Perfect for lunch-and-learns, conference breakouts, or kicking off a team meeting.

    • The Vibe: Quick, kinetic, and entirely engaging.

    • The Flow: Malachi opens with a room-shifting live performance, followed by a rapid-fire writing prompt designed to bypass overthinking.

    • The Takeaway: Participants get a crash course in authentic expression and leave energized, having taken their first step from the page to the stage.

  • Our "sweet spot" offering. The perfect balance of guided reflection, active writing, and community building. Ideal for dedicated team-building days or school assemblies.

    • The Vibe: Collaborative, supportive, and transformative.

    • The Flow: After a live opening performance, we dig deeper into the mechanics of spoken word. Participants get dedicated time to craft original pieces, followed by industry-level coaching from Malachi on breath control, pacing, and emotional delivery.

    • The Takeaway: The session culminates in "The Cypher"—a supportive open mic where participants share their voices, snap for their peers, and build immediate, tangible trust.

  • A deep dive into communication, vulnerability, and group dynamics. Designed for corporate offsites, executive leadership retreats, or non-profit strategy days.

    • The Vibe: Immersive, challenging, and profoundly unifying.

    • The Flow: This expanded format allows us to move beyond solo poetry into group pieces. Teams collaborate to write and perform shared narratives, learning how to listen actively and weave different perspectives into one cohesive voice. Malachi provides intensive, one-on-one performance coaching.

    • The Takeaway: Teams break down invisible silos, resolve communication roadblocks, and leave with a shared emotional vocabulary that permanently alters how they collaborate.

  • Not a workshop, but an unforgettable keynote performance. Best for all-hands meetings, large-scale conferences, campus orientations, or galas.

    • The Vibe: Inspirational, world-class, and culturally resonant.

    • The Flow: Malachi brings the energy of The Apollo and The Kennedy Center directly to your stage. He weaves award-winning spoken word performances with compelling storytelling about his journey from Prince George’s County to Hollywood screens (Mank, Moments) and Grammy-nominated collaborations.

    • The Takeaway: A powerful, customized message on empathy, resilience, and the necessity of owning your authentic voice, leaving the audience inspired to take action.

  • A sustained, culture-shifting initiative. Perfect for schools, non-profit youth programs, or corporate Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) looking for long-term development.

    • The Vibe: Mentorship-driven, progressive, and deeply impactful.

    • The Flow: A tailored, multi-week curriculum where participants journey from absolute beginners to confident storytellers. We cover everything from narrative structure and finding inspiration to overcoming stage fright and mastering the microphone.

    • The Takeaway: The residency builds toward a culminating "Poetry Slam" or Showcase Event, giving participants a platform to publicly own their narratives. It creates a lasting legacy of confident communicators and a culture where every voice matters.

Participant Outcomes

The Takeaway

    • Unshakable Confidence (The Voice): Participants overcome the fear of public speaking by learning to rely on their passion rather than slides or jargon. They leave knowing how to command a room, control their pacing, and speak with absolute conviction.

    • Profound Empathy (The Room): By sharing and actively listening to authentic narratives, participants break down invisible hierarchies. They walk away with a shared emotional vocabulary and a renewed, deep-seated trust in their peers.

    • Creative Catharsis (The Mind): Participants don't just learn a skill; they experience a release. They leave with an original piece of written work and a practical, creative framework for processing stress and articulating their lived experiences.

  • Corporate & Enterprise: HR wellness initiatives, Employee Resource Group (ERG) programming, executive offsites, and team-building.

    • Conferences & Events: Mainstage keynotes, high-energy openers, and interactive breakout sessions.

    • Universities & Education: Campus orientations, student leadership programs, and arts residencies.

    • Nonprofits & Community: Advocacy training, staff retreats, and youth empowerment programs.

Expressing yourself is the most beautiful poem you could ever write.

- Malachi Rivers

Participant Feedback

“It felt therapeutic, creative, and deeply human.”

- Robert Warren, Personal Training Manager, Equinox

“Spoken Care is a masterclass in community engagement.”

-Brittney Parkinson, Senior Director Community & Citizenship, Turner Construction

“Spoken Care was, without question, one of the most talked-about offerings at Zen Fest 2026. From a coordination standpoint, the group engagement was unmatched — the kind of organic connection you can’t manufacture or script. Watching attendees move from observers to participants, from silence to story, was a reminder of exactly why we do this work.”

-Davi Akei, Founder, Zen Fest

"I am a writer, producer, and creator, and leaving the Spoken Care session, I was so inspired that I went home and immediately started writing."

-Carlton Jordan, Executive Producer, Housewives of Salt Lake City

“Spoken Care provided a much needed opportunity to put words to your feelings, and the power of the voice to activate the clearing of energy.”

-Andean Banks, Project Manager, DTLA General Contractor

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