Alexander "Alex" Paredes-Ruíz (he/él) is a Chicago-based and Miami-born cultural worker, artist-scholar, and writer passionate about creative praxis, reimagining narrative forms, and reinventing aesthetic traditions. He holds dual degrees in Theater Arts Management and History from Ithaca College. He later earned a master’s degree in Latin American and Latino Studies from the University of Illinois at Chicago with research focused on Latinx and Latin American cultural production, performance studies, queer of color critique, and contemporary arts criticism. He’s previously presented his work at SWPACA, UC Santa Barbara, NeMLA, Johns Hopkins, and Phi Alpha Theta. He serves as the Marketing Director at First Floor Theater leading communication efforts, community engagement, press and media relations, and supports the ongoing development of new work. Alex is an alumnus of Creative West’s National Leaders of Color, The Public Theater’s BIPOC Critics Lab, and the 4A’s Multicultural Advertising Program. His writing has been featured by New York City Center, OnStage Blog, CUSLAR, and the Ithacan. www.apareruiz.com