Joel Renfort was born in Petit-Goâve, Haiti. He is a teacher, artist, and poet. He studied Literature, Educational Sciences, Linguistics, Pedagogy, and Language Didactics. He holds a bachelor's degree (ENS/UEH/Haiti), a master's degree (University of Rouen/France), and a DEA (postgraduate diploma, University of West Indies/Martinique).

He taught Francophone literature, French, and Creole poetry for more than 20 years. Since 2007, he has been teaching at the Faculty of Applied Linguistics of the State University of Haiti: Francophone Literature, Introduction to Literary Studies, Comparative Literature, and Francophone Languages and Cultures. Throughout his career, he has taught languages to children and adults of all ages, prioritizing approaches where the learner is the center of the learning process and where creativity is a key driving force.

His hobbies include spending time with family and friends, reading, writing, creating works of art, playing chess, and visiting museums.