Taneshia Nash Laird is a recognized leader in talent development within urban development and the arts. A former city and state official for economic development, she has overseen multifamily housing, commercial office, retail, and light industrial projects. As both an entrepreneur and nonprofit CEO, she has led culturally significant real estate initiatives, including art galleries and performing arts centers in urban communities, often through public-private financing strategies that promote economic growth and cultural preservation.


Taneshia also teaches creative entrepreneurship as an Associate Professor in the Africana Studies department at Berklee College of Music and Boston Conservatory at Berklee. In addition to her leadership at Project REAP, she advises cultural and philanthropic institutions and serves on the boards of the Billie Holiday Theatre, the National Independent Venue Foundation, and the Roxbury Cultural District.


She has been appointed to economic development-related commissions in both New Jersey and Massachusetts, most recently serving on Governor Maura Healey's Cultural Policy Development Advisory Council.


Taneshia holds a BBA from Bernard Baruch College and an MA in Live Entertainment Management from the University of Miami. As Executive Director of Project REAP, she is committed to developing high-potential professionals to thrive in the real estate industry. She is a proud graduate of the REAP Academy, NYC, 2021.