Akisa Omulepu

Akisa Omulepu is an Emmy-nominated documentarian, director, producer, and editor. She directed and produced “A Dream Deferred: The Broken Promise of New York City Public Housing” for PBS, which was nominated for two Emmys. Akisa was the first Black woman to direct “Great Performances” on PBS in the show’s 50-year history. 

A native New Yorker, Akisa lived in Nairobi, Kenya for eight years working as a foreign correspondent, producer, and entertainment manager. While in Kenya, she launched her production company, executive produced and hosted a weekly television show, and was a part of the NBC Nightly News production team that covered the Westgate Mall al-Shabab terrorist attack, among other things.

Akisa serves as a judge for the Primetime Emmys, Daytime Emmys, the News & Documentary Emmys, and the NAACP Image Awards. She is a member of The Directors Guild of America (DGA), The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (Television Academy), a lifetime member of The National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ), and Delta Sigma Theta Sorority. 

Akisa started her career in academia teaching mathematics in a public school in the South Bronx, and at the City University of New York. She earned a bachelor’s degree in economics from Lincoln University in Pennsylvania, a graduate degree in journalism from Columbia University, and is a Yale World Fellow.