Bassey Ikpi is a Nigerian-born American spoken-word poet, writer, and mental health advocate. She has appeared on HBO's Russell Simmons Presents Def Poetry five times and her poetry has opened shows for Grammy Award-winning artists. She has been a featured cast member of the National Touring Company of the Tony Award-winning Broadway show, "Russell Simmon's Def Poetry Jam." Her organisation, "The Siwe Project", is "a non-profit organization geared towards educating and increasing awareness of mental health issues, particularly amongst those of African descent worldwide."