MAECHI AHARANWA

Maechi Aharanwa is a Juilliard-trained actor, author, and the Founder and Chief Creative Officer of PinMe 1913. A Princess Grace Award recipient honored with the Gant Gaither Theatre Fellowship, her work bridges performance, education, and enterprise, translating artistic discipline into structures that support sustainable creative practice.

​

Her work spans Broadway, classical theatre, television, and film. She appeared on Broadway in the critically acclaimed play Jaja’s African Hair Braiding by Jocelyn Bioh, originating the role of Ndidi. Additional stage credits include The Misanthrope (Célimène), The Mountaintop (Camae), Sweet (Retha), Julius Caesar (Cassius), and Joe Turner’s Come and Gone (Martha). Her screen work includes appearances on Elementary, 30 Rock, Show Me a Hero, and Person of Interest.

​

Aharanwa studied Theatre and African American Studies at Temple University before continuing her training at Circle in the Square Theatre School and The Juilliard School’s Drama Division. While at Juilliard she received the John Houseman Prize for excellence in classical theatre and the Joseph W. Polisi Artist as Citizen Award.

​

She works as a teaching artist and mentor and has collaborated with organizations including the Harlem School of the Arts, ASTEP, IRC, New York City Public Schools, and the Barbados Dance Project. She previously served as Director of Education (Project Classics) at the Classical Theatre of Harlem and continues to coach actors privately.

​

Aharanwa is the creator of The Actor as Architect, a framework that reframes conservatory training as preparation for long-term authorship and artistic infrastructure. Through performance, writing, and teaching, she develops systems that help artists build creative ecosystems on their own terms.

​

She lives and works in New York City.