About Charron Monaye
Charron Monaye, an award-winning writing visionary, has transformed purpose-driven storytelling into a multi-industry brand spanning books, publishing, theater, film, and media. As founder of Pen Legacy ®, she reimagined the traditional path of authorship, creating a powerhouse platform that amplifies voices, solidifies legacies, and converts creativity into influence. With more than three decades of experience as a writer, Monaye has authored 28 books, co-authored more than 100 titles, written and produced 6 theatrical productions, and published over 175 authors across 15 genres, generating more than $1 million in global sales. Her work sits at the intersection of creativity and entrepreneurship, where storytelling becomes strategy and intellectual property becomes legacy.
Born and raised in Philadelphia, Monaye’s journey began, in 1992, when she wrote her first poem, Alone, and recited it at a UNCF Scholarship Banquet. National recognition followed when she won a prestigious poetry contest from The National Library of Poetry, earning publication in Tears of Fire, and later Best Poems of 1995. After graduating from West Chester University, Monaye stepped into journalism as a Staff Writer for The Philadelphia Forum, VA Gazette and CNN iReport.
In 2008, after years of lending her pen and collaborating, Charron Monaye made a bold call, to bet on herself. She founded Pen Legacy®, planting her flag in ownership and taking control of her storytelling from the ground up. That same year, she secured a publishing deal with Purposeful Publishing and released her debut book, My Side of the Story. Understanding there was more than one way to tell a story, Monaye flipped the book into the stage play Living Your Life and stepped in as co-producer. The production premiered in Philadelphia and went on to land at the DC Theatre Festival, starring Actress D’Atra Hicks. Then, inspired by her son’s anti-bullying book I Believe In Me, she adapted it into the stage production Why Can’t We Be Friends, and later transforming it into the short film A Childhood Lost.
From there, Monaye didn’t ease up, she accelerated. Writing, producing, and directing stage productions while simultaneously building another infrastructure. In 2015, she launched Pen Legacy ® Publishing, a division of Pen Legacy ®, built by authors, for authors. The company delivers personalized publishing and ghostwriting services tailored to each creator’s goals; while also providing hands-on mentorship in marketing, sales, and branding ensuring authors don’t just publish books, they build platforms. While birthing new authors, Monaye kept building her own momentum. In 2018, she launched the motivational anthology series Get Out of Your Own Way, transforming powerful personal stories into a movement that later expanded into a theatrical production premiering in Hollywood, CA and later, on Theater Row on Broadway. Then, in 2020, she pivoted to the next generation, introducing her children’s series The Adventures of Michelle ®, with standout titles like Imagine Life Without African American Inventors and Michelle and Her Magical Pen, stories created to educate, empower, and expand young minds.
Most recently, Monaye stepped back into film production, contributing to a slate of projects that reflect both range and momentum. Her credits include Red Light (associate producer), The Wake-Up Call (executive producer), the multi-award-winning independent feature Urban Flesh Eaters (production assistant) and Bessie Shows Her Ass (production assistant). Beyond authoring, publishing and production, Monaye serves as a voting member on nominating committees for several major American award shows. She is also a contributing writer for Hype Hair Magazine and an executive contributor for Brainz Magazine, where her work continues to inform, inspire, and influence audiences worldwide.
Her contributions to literature and publishing have been recognized by the United States Department of Education, the United Nations, and numerous state and municipal governments. She is the recipient of an Honorary Doctorate in Philosophy from CICA International University & Seminary and the Presidential Lifetime Achievement Award. Her story has been featured in publications including Upscale Magazine, Sheen Magazine, NY Weekly, Voyage Tampa, Femi Magazine, Brainz Magazine, The Philadelphia Tribune, Hype Hair Magazine, and UAE Times Magazine, among other notable outlets.
Charron Monaye earned a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from West Chester University, a Certificate in Paralegal Studies from Washington Online Learning Institute, and a Master of Public Administration from Keller Graduate School of Management. She is also a member of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority Inc., and Deborah Grand Chapter Order of Eastern Star, Inc., Ruth Chapter #66, Prince Hall Adopted.