top of page

Entrepreneurial
Non-Profit
Theatre Leader

Bonnie Fogel is a nonprofit leader responsible for creating, building and leading one of the top Theatres for Young Audiences in the United States for over four decades: Imagination Stage, Inc.

Her entrepreneurial approach touches upon many of the core business principles shared by nonprofits and for-profits alike. For over 50 years, Imagination Stage’s influence as a Theatre for Young Audiences, an arts education exemplar, and a model for sustainable community growth, has expanded across the country due to Bonnie's founding entrepreneurial vision and entrepreneurial leadership.

In The News

Solutions with Imagination Stage

~ Montgomery Municipal Cable

Cheryl Hawkins - December 5, 2025

Screenshot 2026-03-01 060550.png

Bethesda Interview: Bonnie Fogel

~ Written by Steve Goldstein

~ Photo by Joseph Tran

Washingtonian - February 24, 2020

The Surprising Story of Bonnie Fogel, Who Turned Imagination Stage Into The East Coast's Best Children's Theater

~ Written by Sarah Wildman

~ Photo by Greg Powers

Washingtonian - June 14, 2016

What People Are Saying

A Celebration of Bonnie Fogel
FOUNDER. INNOVATOR. LEADER

Tribute to Bonnie Fogel

This video was created for a gala celebrating Bonnie Fogel, the founder of Imagination Stage, as she entered retirement. While the event was originally planned to take place in person, the pandemic required the celebration to pivot to a virtual format. This is a recording of that event and includes a very special interview with Judy Woodruff.

The world is filled with failed art organizations created as the extensions of egos of founders. Imagination Stage was not an extension of Bonnie's ego. She invited people to come in with their own ideas. She had a knack for talking to everybody: to a funder, to government officials, to parents, to children, to playwrights, to actors. She wasn't limited in her worldview and her perspective. And she brought those people in to join her. And that was one of the great strengths that she brought to Imagination Stage. The foundation that she laid and the organization that she created, the staff that she built, will linger long after she's gone.

~ Frank Allen Philpot, Imagination Stage founding president, former PBS Kids executive

Publications

Entrepreneurial Arts
and Cultural Leadership

From theatre arts textbooks to creative stories inspired by family adventures, Bonnie Fogel’s writing journey reflects a lifelong love for words and theatre.

Bonnie Fogel & Brett Ashley Crawford

This book empowers emerging and established arts and nonprofit leaders to cultivate an entrepreneurial mindset that fuels innovation and adaptability. Designed to help leaders recognize and seize new opportunities, it also provides practical guidance for managing the complex realities of arts and cultural organizations. Blending classroom-ready insight with real-world case studies, this resource highlights proven practices that strengthen leadership and support long-term impact.

Get in Touch

bottom of page