Dr. JL Trey Odom has written 100+ published stories since moving to San Francisco in 2021.

They’ve covered SF initiatives such as Vacant to Vibrant, Slow Streets, and the Golden Mile project; LGBTQ+ issues, culture, and organizations; art exhibitions; local music festivals and bands; the comedy scene in the Bay Area and beyond; sports (e.g., Bay to Breakers, the NWSL, the U.S. WNT, Bay FC); literature; and artificial intelligence.

Dr. Odom has a doctorate in English, with a concentration in rhetoric and textual studies, an M.A. in English, a B.A. in Political Science, and USATF and RRCA coaching certifications.

They’ve worked as an English professor in Virginia; a professional editor for an online-based company, with clients such as the World Bank; and a youth track & cross country coach in Piedmont.

Dr. Odom has qualified for Boston every year since 2015 and is the nonbinary division winner of the 2022 California International Marathon and the 2023 and 2024 San Francisco Marathon. Most recently, they placed first overall NB at the Oakland Half Marathon (March 2025) as part of the Under Armour Flow Elite Team.

They were one of sixteen journalists selected nationwide for the Comcast NBCUniversal Digital Equity Voices Lab journalism fellowship (2024-2025), writing impactful stories on digital equity and the LGBTQ+ community.

See the “Contact” page to request them for:

▪️writing projects for reputable news orgs, companies, and educational institutions

▪️speaking engagements at schools or organizations