Elizabeth Unaeze

Liz “Nic Cole” Unaeze is a playwright, composer/lyricist, author, and teaching artist based in New Orleans, Louisiana. She earned a B.A. in Sociology with a minor in Psychology from Louisiana State University and a Master’s degree in Leadership with a Life Coaching Certificate from Grand Canyon University. Liz is an active-duty Marine Corps spouse, a Marine’s daughter, and the granddaughter of two Army veterans.

Three years ago, Liz transitioned into playwriting after identifying a need within her own family and her military-connected community for affordable, accessible, and engaging mental health resources. That work led to the creation of Don’t Worry Willy: The Musical, based on her book series of the same name, which is a children’s production focused on social-emotional learning that has reached over 10,000 children through school and community programming. She is also the founder of Grow Joy, a creative wellness framework that blends gardening, art, and storytelling to support emotional health for families.

Liz was drawn to Dog Tag to strengthen her entrepreneurial skill set and scale her mission-driven creative work into a sustainable business. Through the program, she hopes to gain mentorship, financial strategy, and operational tools while building community with fellow military-connected leaders. Her favorite baked good is a “brookie”.