Heather Ann Gottlieb was born and raised in Phoenix, Arizona. At age 10, she began performing in community theatre across the valley, including Phoenix Theatre, Greasepaint, Metro Arts, and TheaterWorks. At age 15, she won the AriZoni Award for Best Actress in a Lead Role (Children's Theater). She received her BA in Theatre Arts from Loyola Marymount University in 2015. In 2015, Beth Henley awarded her the department's "Outstanding Achievement in Playwriting" award.