Ashley Simpo

When I was six years old, my mother handed me a small blue diary with gilded edges and said, “write every day.” So, I did. That little padlocked book became my safe space for sorting through the increasingly complicated world around me. As I grew up, my obsession with writing deepened, fueled by discovering the works of Alice Walker, Sonia Sanchez, Toni Morrison, and Nikki Giovanni—women who wielded their imaginations to illuminate truths, challenge norms, and shape entire movements. 

Born in Oakland, California, I spent my formative years in the Bay Area and Sacramento. I studied creative writing and English literature at Chabot College before moving to Brooklyn, New York in 2008. Adjusting to the pace and energy of a new city, I leaned on my lifelong journaling practice, which evolved into blogging during the rise of digital storytelling.

In 2014, after years of writing for myself, I began pitching my essays to publications. One of my first published pieces, The Thing About Your Daughter’s Virginity, struck a chord with an audience I didn’t realize I had. It was my first taste of how storytelling could spark conversation and define collective understanding.

In 2018, I published A Kids Book About Divorce, inspired by candid conversations with my son, Orion, at just six years old. Two years later, I co-edited 100 Diverse Voices in Parenthood, an anthology amplifying the vast and nuanced experiences of modern parenting. My work has since appeared in Essence, Parents Magazine, Insider, BET.com, CRWNMAG, and Shondaland, among others. My work has also been featured and profiled in The Cut, The New York Times, Marie Claire, and The Washington Post.

For the past five years, I’ve worked as a writer and editor for brands, print, and digital platforms. As a writer, I’m known for simplifying complex ideas and weaving imagination into everything I write. Outside of writing and motherhood, I’m a doula and community advocate often using storytelling to support and amplify movements I care about. 

Topics of Interest

Motherhood/maternal health and parenting, love/sex and relationships, community, identity, personal growth, creativity/craft, advocacy, culture, media, mental health and wellness

Areas of Skill

Copywriting, essays, op-eds, as told by/ghostwriting, social media writing, blogging, profiles, creative consulting and strategy