With a string of firsts in Asian Canadian theatre, Nina was the founding artistic director of fu-GEN Asian Canadian Theatre Company in 2002, organized the first Asian Canadian theatre conference, edited the first (two-volume) Asian Canadian play anthology Love + Relasianships, and co-edited the first (award-winning) book on Asian Canadian theatre. She became artistic director of Cahoots Theatre in 2009, Factory Theatre in 2012, and the National Arts Centre English Theatre in September 2022. Awards for her work include the Ken McDougall Award, the Canada Council for the Arts John Hirsch Prize, the Toronto Theatre Critics Awards for Best Director, Toronto Arts Foundation Margo Bindhart and Rita Davies Cultural Leadership Award, and three Dora Awards for Outstanding Direction.
