Michelle Ebanks

Michelle Ebanks is the President and Chief Executive Officer of The Apollo, the largest African American performing arts center in the nation. She joined The Apollo in 2023 at a pivotal time, as the organization expanded by opening The Apollo Stages at The Victoria, bringing two new flexible performance spaces to Harlem. Previously, as CEO of Essence Communications, Michelle oversaw the nation’s leading media and communications company dedicated to African American women. In that role, she led Essence magazine, Essence.com, and the internationally renowned Essence Festival of Culture, one of the largest annual live music events in the world.

About The Apollo

The Apollo is an American cultural treasure, a vibrant nonprofit organization rooted in the Harlem community that engages people from around New York, the nation, and the world. It is the largest performing arts institution committed to Black culture and creativity. Since opening its doors in 1914 and introducing the first Amateur Night contests in 1934, The Apollo has played a major role in the emergence of jazz, swing, bebop, R&B, gospel, blues, and soul—all quintessentially American music genres. Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan, Billie Holiday, Sammy Davis Jr., James Brown, Gladys Knight, Luther Vandross, D’Angelo, Lauryn Hill, and countless others began their road to stardom on the Apollo stage. Today, The Apollo presents concerts, theatrical and dance performances, film screenings, educational programs, and community outreach programs.