Esin Erkan is Executive Vice President at America Abroad Media (AAM) and Co-Founder of Black Birch Entertainment. With deep expertise in international affairs and storytelling, she brings a unique blend of strategic leadership, cultural insight, and narrative vision to both organizations.
Originally from Istanbul, Turkey, Erkan spent her formative years in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, immersed in a multicultural environment among Turkish expatriates and Middle Eastern families. She returned to Istanbul to attend Lycée Saint Benoît, a French Jesuit school known for educating both Muslims and non-Muslim minorities in Turkey. She went on to earn her B.A. in
International Relations from the French-speaking Galatasaray University before moving to Washington, D.C. in 2002.
In Washington, Erkan worked at several think tanks focused on U.S. foreign policy and U.S.-Turkish relations. She later earned a Master of Science in Foreign Service from Georgetown University’s Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service and worked alongside former National Security Advisor Anthony Lake.
At AAM, Erkan leads substantive research and messaging strategy across all projects. She has played a key role in developing content for AAM’s award-winning documentary radio show America Abroad, as well as its large-scale documentary and TV productions. She also serves as Executive Producer of the organization’s annual Awards Dinner.
Through Black Birch Entertainment, Erkan channels her personal and professional experience into crafting compelling stories that elevate voices and perspectives from the Muslim world. Her lifelong commitment to cross-cultural understanding continues to shape her work at the intersection of media, diplomacy, and storytelling.
