Recipient of the 2026 Folk Alliance Midwest Region Lantern Bearer award, Jenny Bienemann is a singer-songwriter whose original songs have been featured in theater, movies, TV, and in close four million YouTube videos internationally. 

Her most recent book, “Sundays with Jenny,” won the poetry category in the 2025 International Book Competition and in the New York Book Festival.

She founded Haiku Milieu, a creativity incubator with a global audience.

What began as Jenny’s daily social media haiku has grown into a vibrant community connecting thousands through books, a Haiku Milieu soundtrack, a popular Sunday newsletter, and the unique Haiku Milieu concert series.

These concerts showcase original songs inspired by Jenny’s haiku and photography, performed by the region's finest musicians, spotlighting the city’s rich artistic talent globally.

Since its debut at FitzGerald’s in 2019, Haiku Milieu has more than 500 original songs and videos. 

She offers songwriting classes and creativity workshops, including "Bringing Your Songs To Life," "Song (W)ripening" and "CREATE" at places like Old Town School of Folk Music, Lamb's Retreat for Songwriters, and the White Oak Festival.