Jewel Rodgers is the 2025–2029 Nebraska State Poet, a 2025 Academy of American Poets Fellowship recipient, and a 2025 AIRIES Fellow. A three-time Omaha Entertainment and Arts Award nominee for Best Performance Poet and a three-time TEDx speaker, she is a nationally touring interdisciplinary performer and spatial practitioner. Jewel merges art, storytelling, and placemaking to inspire and connect audiences across the U.S. and beyond.

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She has shared her work across the Midwest and MidAtlantic regions, appearing in projects such as 100 Years | 100 Women (Park Avenue Armory, NY), TEDxLincoln and TEDxOmaha, and Amplifying the Black Experience (Opera Omaha). Her performances have also been featured at civic events nationwide, including in Atlanta and Oklahoma City, and she has contributed her voice to moments of social intervention like The Women’s March and the Charlottesville Vigil in Lincoln, NE. In addition, she supports mentorship and community efforts through programs such as the Nebraska Writers Collective’s All Writes Reserved Festival, where she served as a slam coach and workshop facilitator.

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Beyond performance, Jewel is committed to reshaping the built environment. With a Master’s in Real Estate Development from New York University and a Bachelor’s in Business Administration from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, she founded PlaceMade, a resident-led group that transforms blighted lots into community spaces. Her projects include Tierra Park, a pocket park at 2413 Spencer St, and Caden’s Corner, a skate ramp and community garden at 3703 Florence Blvd. Through this work, Jewel continues to merge art, advocacy, and development, creating spaces that reflect and sustain community life.