About

Miko Reed Collins is a native Washingtonian, with a calling for public service and the empowerment of youth through mentorship and spoken word. She is the Co-CEO of Girls Rock with Reading (GRWR), a mentorship based company in Maryland that promotes literacy, develops confidence and fortifies resilience in young girls and teens alike. Miko has been writing poetry and composing spoken word pieces for over 20 years, culminating in a CD titled "Eargasms," that she completed in 2002. She is a new author and Amazon bestseller. She completed her first book, "Eggshells In Soft Black Hands- Poetry and Personal Essays," in August 2021.  Miko is currently working on an anthology of stories from a black woman's perspective, along with her memoir, to be written in poetry and prose, with an anticipated completion date of Spring and Fall 2022, respectively.

Within the last 8 years, Miko has engaged local high schools in the Washington DC area by hosting spoken word mentoring sessions for 9th-12th graders, aptly titled, “Have A Voice.” In mid 2020, she started her LLC under the same name, Have A Voice, and plans to focus her efforts on helping marginalized individuals unpack their trauma, through written and spoken word, by providing a platform for them to speak their truth. Miko recently started a Podcast under the same title. As a survivor of trauma herself, she has been a voice of strength and power performing at over 100 venues up and down the East Coast. Most notable was opening up for civil rights activist, poet and professor Nikki Giovanni, at Virginia Tech University, described as a “young Nikki,” by Ms. Giovanni herself. Miko has effortlessly paved the way for others behind her. 

Her grounding and values were formed in the diverse culture of Washington DC. Her leadership was forged while she served for 25 years in the US Army, retiring as a Master Sergeant in 2019. Miko is a certified Victims Advocate, a Master Resilience Trainer and fully believes in embracing her creative, authentic self and helps others to do the same. She is a Licensed Practical Nurse and holds a Bachelors of Science in Management from National Louis University and an Executive Masters of Arts in Leadership from Georgetown University. She is currently pursuing a Masters of Arts in Writing from Johns Hopkins University. Miko is married and lives in Mitchellville MD with her husband and their two children.