Jenji Kohan

Jenji Leslie Kohan was born on July 5, 1969, in Los Angeles, California. Her family has a strong background in entertainment; her father, Buz Kohan, is an Emmy-winning television writer and producer, and her mother, Rhea Kohan, is a television writer and novelist. She graduated from Beverly Hills High School in 1987 and later earned a degree in English language and literature from Columbia University in 1991. Kohan began her career in television writing for shows like ‘The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air,’ ‘Mad About You,’ and ‘Friends,’ gaining foundational experience in the industry.

Kohan’s career progressed significantly with her role as a supervising producer for the HBO sketch comedy series ‘Tracey Takes On…’ from 1996 to 1999, which earned her an Emmy Award for Outstanding Variety Series. She then created and served as showrunner for the acclaimed Showtime dark comedy-drama ‘Weeds,’ which ran for eight seasons from 2005 to 2012. Her next major project was ‘Orange Is the New Black,’ a Netflix original series that she created and executive produced from 2013 to 2019. This series, based on Piper Kerman’s memoir, garnered multiple awards and nominations, solidifying her reputation as a leading television creator.

Following the success of ‘Orange Is the New Black,’ Kohan continued her collaboration with Netflix, signing an exclusive multi-year deal. Under this deal, she executive produced other series like ‘GLOW’ (2017-2019), ‘Teenage Bounty Hunters’ (2020), and ‘The Decameron’ (2024). In 2014, Time magazine recognized her influence by naming her one of the “100 Most Influential People in the World.” She continues to impact the television landscape through her production company, Tilted Productions, and her ownership of the historic Hayworth Theatre in Los Angeles, which she intends to use as a venue for performances.