Tinashe Kajese-Bolden is a multi-award-winning director, actor, and artistic leader committed to forging pathways where artistic innovation meets equity, access, and joy. Originally from Zimbabwe, she was named the Jennings Hertz Artistic Director of the Alliance Theatre in 2023—becoming the first woman of color to lead the institution. Her leadership includes building a new state-of-the-art theater for youth and families, launching a $10M endowment campaign to support radical access for all, and implementing groundbreaking initiatives such as free childcare for all artists and Alliance Theater staff. A Princess Grace Award (2019) and MAP Fund recipient, Tinashe has directed major world premieres including Forsyth County Is Flooding (a modern opera) The Preacher’s Wife by Tituss Burgess and co-directed with Michael Arden, Furlough’s Paradise, and Nick’s Flamingo Grill. Her career spans Broadway, Off-Broadway, major regional theaters, film, and television. Rooted in purpose, Tinashe’s mission is to build inclusive systems that uplift communities and ensure every artist can lead with dignity, imagination, and collective power.