Aspen is a place for leaders to lift their sights above the possessions which possess them. To confront their own nature as human beings, to regain control over their own humanity by becoming more self-aware, more self-correcting, and hence more self-fulfilling.

Walter P. Paepcke, Aspen Institute Co-Founder

Aspen Institute and Eisner Foundation Announce Inaugural Class of the Michael D. Eisner Arts and Culture Fellowship

26 arts leaders from across disciplines and generations come together to advance positive change through the power of arts and culture

Washington, DC, March 26, 2026 – The Aspen Institute today announced the inaugural class of the Michael D. Eisner Arts and Culture Fellowship, a distinctive program for leaders across creative disciplines of the Aspen Global Leadership Network (AGLN), created in collaboration with the Aspen Institute Arts Program and launched with founding support from the Eisner Foundation.

The 26 Fellows represent a dynamic cross-section of creative leadership—artists and performers, studio executives and gallery owners, filmmakers, musicians, playwrights, producers, and cultural entrepreneurs—brought together by a shared belief in the arts as a vital force for positive change in the world. 

Spanning three countries, more than a dozen artistic disciplines, and a range of generations and lived experiences, the cohort reflects both the richness of today’s creative landscape and the responsibility of leadership in a period of rapid change. 

The Michael D. Eisner Arts and Culture Fellows are: 

  • Moses Babatope, CEO, The Nile Media Entertainment Group | Lagos, Nigeria
  • Cameron Bailey, Chief Executive Officer, TIFF (Toronto International Film Festival) | Toronto, Canada
  • Marianne Boesky, Founder, Marianne Boesky Gallery | New York, NY, United States
  • Dino Bovell, Vice President, Business Affairs, NBCUniversal | Los Angeles, CA, United States
  • Chun Wai Chan, Principal Dancer, New York City Ballet | New York, NY, United States
  • Maris Curran, Writer/Director | Los Angeles, CA, United States
  • Maha Dakhil, Managing Director & Motion Picture Agent, Creative Artists Agency (CAA) | Los Angeles, CA, United States
  • Tommy Dewey, Actor, Writer, Producer and Director | Los Angeles, CA, United States
  • Jared Geller, Co-Founder and Producer, HITRECORD | Los Angeles, CA, United States
  • Chris Gethard, Co-Founder, Laughing Together | Morristown, NJ, United States
  • Judy Greer, Actress, Director, and Author | Los Angeles, CA, United States 
  • dream hampton, Filmmaker, Writer | Detroit, MI, United States
  • Uzma Hasan, Producer | New York, NY, United States
  • Elon D. Johnson, Vice President of Current Programming, Tyler Perry Studios | Atlanta, GA, United States
  • Nora Lawrence, Executive Director, Storm King Art Center | New Windsor, NY, United States
  • Sean Manning, Vice President and Publisher, Simon & Schuster | New York, NY, United States
  • Rob Moose, Musician and Arranger | Brooklyn, NY, United States
  • Brandan “Bmike” Odums, Visual Artist, Muralist, and Founder/Director, Eternal Seeds/Studio BE | New Orleans, LA, United States
  • Adam Pendleton, Artist, Studio Pendleton | New York, NY, United States
  • Daniel Bernard Roumain, Musician, Composer, and Professor, SOZO Media and Arizona State University | Norwood, MA, United States
  • Christopher Schonberger, Founder and CEO, First We Feast | New York, NY, United States
  • Shanta Thake, EVP, Ehrenkranz Chief Artistic Officer, Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts | New York, NY, United States
  • Paul Thompson, Executive Director for the Arts, New York City Public Schools | New York, NY, United States
  • Glynn Washington, Executive Producer, Snap Studios | Oakland, CA, United States
  • Bess Wohl, Playwright and Filmmaker | New York, NY, United States
  • Keith Yamashita, Founder and Dean, The Institute for Moral Imagination | Mill Valley, CA, United States

Full Fellow bios are available at aspeninstitute.org/programs/eisner-arts-culture-fellowship.

“Seventy-five years of the Aspen Institute has been, at its core, one sustained argument: that leaders who pause to examine their values change more than themselves. This Fellowship class makes that argument visceral. These are the people who decide which stories get told, which art gets made, and who gets to participate in culture at all—which means they’re also deciding, in ways both subtle and sweeping, how the rest of us understand the world we’re living in. Give them a room, a challenge, and each other. What comes out the other side reaches far beyond any stage or screen or gallery wall.”

—Dar Vanderbeck, Vice President, Aspen Global Leadership Network, Aspen Institute

The Fellowship responds to a persistent gap in arts leadership development. While creative industries offer abundant opportunities to hone craft, arts leaders rarely have structured space to reflect on larger questions of purpose: How do the arts contribute to creating a better world? What responsibility does leadership carry in shaping that future? 

At a moment when culture is both deeply contested and profoundly necessary—when the arts help communities navigate division, interpret change, and imagine what comes next—the need for values-driven arts leadership is unmistakable. Drawing on the Aspen Institute’s longstanding Fellowship model and tradition of moderated dialogue, the program convenes leaders committed to examining their roles, building trust across disciplines, and advancing a shared sense of purpose.

“Throughout my career, I’ve seen firsthand how the arts shape the way we understand ourselves and the world—and how much depends on the leaders driving that work. At a moment when so much feels uncertain, arts leaders aren’t on the sidelines. They’re at the center of how we reckon with our history, imagine new possibilities, and find common ground. This Fellowship exists because those leaders deserve the same investment in their growth and vision that we give to leaders in any other field. Looking at this intergenerational class, I have no doubt they will rise to that challenge.”

—Michael D. Eisner, CEO, The Tornante Company, and Aspen Institute Trustee

The inaugural cohort reflects the breadth and influence of today’s arts landscape. In film and television, Fellows represent Nollywood’s global reach, major Hollywood studios, streaming platforms, documentary filmmaking, and talent representation. The performing arts include leaders from institutions such as New York City Ballet and Lincoln Center alongside independent playwrights and choreographers. Musicians range from a three-time Grammy winner reshaping contemporary composition to an award-winning string arranger whose work spans hundreds of albums. Visual artists, muralists, gallerists, publishers, podcasters, and leaders in arts education—including oversight of programming for 1.1 million New York City public school students—complete a class distinguished not only by accomplishment, but by a demonstrated commitment to expanding access and opportunity.

“Since its founding, the Aspen Institute has recognized art as a catalyst for community, dialogue, and values-based leadership. This inaugural class brings that conviction to life. The Fellows work across fields that rarely intersect, ranging from film to stage, public schools to contemporary galleries, digital storytelling and large-scale public sculpture. When leaders with that breadth of experience come into dialogue, new possibilities emerge—not only for their own work, but for the culture they help shape.”

—Danielle Baussan, Director, Arts Program, Aspen Institute

Intergenerational exchange is central to the Fellowship. Spanning more than three decades in age—from 35 to 62—the cohort brings emerging and established leaders into sustained dialogue at a time of profound transformation in how culture is created, distributed, and experienced. That exchange of perspective and experience reflects the Eisner Foundation’s enduring commitment to intergenerational connection.

The class will convene for its opening seminar in June 2026 in Bailey, Colorado. Upon completion, Fellows join the Aspen Global Leadership Network—a lifelong community of more than 4,000 leaders across 60 countries committed to values-based leadership. Nominations for the second class of this four-year pilot program are planned to open in fall 2026. Learn more at aspeninstitute.org/programs/eisner-arts-culture-fellowship. 

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About the Eisner Foundation The Eisner Foundation identifies, advocates for, and invests in high-quality and innovative programs that unite multiple generations for the enrichment of our communities. The Eisner Foundation was started in 1996 by Michael D. Eisner, then-Chairman and CEO of The Walt Disney Company, and his wife Jane to focus their family’s philanthropic activities. The Eisner Foundation gives an estimated $10-12 million per year to nonprofit organizations based in Los Angeles County and New York City. In 2015, The Eisner Foundation became the only U.S. funder investing exclusively in intergenerational solutions. To learn more about The Eisner Foundation, please visit eisnerfoundation.org.

About the Aspen Institute The Aspen Institute is a global nonprofit organization whose purpose is to ignite human potential to build understanding and create new possibilities for a better world. Founded in 1949, the Institute drives change through dialogue, leadership, and action to help solve society’s greatest challenges. It is headquartered in Washington, DC and has a campus in Aspen, Colorado, as well as an international network of partners. For more information, visit aspeninstitute.org.

Contact:
Samantha Cherry
Director, Communications and Engagement
Aspen Global Leadership Network, Aspen Institute
[email protected]