She has been painting and writing as long as she can remember being able to hold a pencil and a paintbrush. She spent her Sunday mornings receiving classical art instruction at the Ermitage Academy from Uzbek artist, Mikhail Dimov. After graduating college with degrees in Finance and Spanish, Carly followed her heart and moved abroad to pursue more creative endeavors. Her journey unfortunately ended short when she survived and reported a sexual assault. Forced to start life over in the US, she continued to write, using poetry to reclaim her narrative and rebuild confidence in the months that followed. She now resides and works in NYC, but still writes and paints watercolors.

Above all, Cassidy aspires to help other survivors regain hope and strength through her writing and by sharing all that is possible after SA. She has written two collections of poetry: The Morning Regaining Her Glory and A Lone Rose Grows in the Concrete Jungle. She has led poetry workshops for sexual and relationship trauma survivors alongside EMPWR. A resilient advocate for survivors of gender-based violence, Carly serves on the Young Professionals Board for Womankind.

You can catch Carly around the city—hosting workshops in collaboration with her friends at Girls Who Meet , collaborating on Events & Marketing for New York’s most innovative entrepreneurs with Fibe, and typing bespoke poems on her little green typewriter at an event near you.

Looking to Sponsor a fundraising event for Womankind, commission a painting, or have Carly create poems for your event guests? Send her a note here.