Emika Abe (she/her) (‘21) is thrilled to join the Leadership Greater Washington team as Senior Director of Programs. In this role, she oversees the strategic direction and implementation of LGW’s range of leadership programs: the Signature Program, the Rising Leaders Program, and the Youth Leadership Program. Emika is a member of the Signature Program class of 2021 and is honored to steward these programs to foster a positive impact on the region and its leaders.
Emika comes to LGW from a career in nonprofit theatre leadership, having most recently been Managing Director of Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company. While at Woolly, Emika led the organization through a strategic planning process, nearly doubled the racial diversity on the board, overhauled HR policies and practices to better align with anti-racism values, increased ticket access, hosted the theatre’s most successful gala, and produced the Tony Award-winning A Strange Loop. She continues to support the arts community as a member of the Theatre Washington Board of Directors, the leadership team for the Kennedy Center’s ASPIRE Arts Leadership Program, and the Editorial Board of the Yale Theatre Management Knowledge Base.
Emika brings the values of community, connection, and curiosity to all of her work. In addition to being a nonprofit theatre executive, she has worked in executive search and management consulting for the arts. She is also a leadership coach, having recently completed training through the Co-Active Training Institute, the oldest & largest coach training program in the world.
Emika earned an MBA from Yale School of Management and an MFA in Theater Management from Yale School of Drama. As Associate Managing Director of the Alliance Theatre in Atlanta, Emika co-chaired the Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion committee and proudly accepted the Atlanta Business Chronicle’s Diversity & Inclusion Award on the theatre’s behalf. She is an alum of LEAD Atlanta, Arts Leaders of Metro Atlanta, and Theatre Communication Group’s Young Leaders of Color.
Emika lives with her husband and cat in a 130-year-old cottage in Montgomery County. She loves listening to podcasts while walking in her verdant neighborhood, cooking plant-based meals, reading mostly nonfiction, going to the theatre, and traveling, especially to visit family & friends.