Ronald Lavender aka RL tha Gifted 1, is a poet, actor and stage play director. Originally from Brooklyn NY, Ronald has been writing since the age of 13. He has written and directed plays such as The Leftovers, Black Girl Majestic & Water Into Wine. Ronald is also the head of B.O.L.T., (Building Ongoing Legacies Together) a single parent mentoring program that teaches life skills and positive reinforcement to young men ages 8-16. RL serves as the host Rhymes & Revolution, a monthly open mic that focuses on social justice and community activism through the arts. He believes fully that it is the responsibility of every artist to assist his/her community in creating positive change by action and not merely words.