Emily Madero has served as President and CEO of French Quarter Festivals, Inc. (FQFI) since 2017. FQFI is a 501c(3) nonprofit organization with a purpose to uplift and sustain New Orleans’ cultural economy and those who create it. The organization produces three annual events: French Quarter Festival, Satchmo SummerFest, and Holidays New Orleans Style. Under her leadership, one of the most celebrated festivals in the city has expanded in popularity and impact. French Quarter Festival draws an attendance of over 955,000 attendees and showcases roughly 1,700 Louisiana musicians annually. The free four-day “block party” in the French Quarter supports over 2,800 local jobs and its annual economic impact has grown to exceed $320M. Leading the industry in the Gulf South, Madero has also championed initiatives to reduce festival waste by 80% and increase opportunities to showcase young talent.

Prior to taking the helm at FQFI, Emily devoted over a decade of her career to building a thriving entrepreneurial ecosystem in New Orleans with The Idea Village. While there, she served as a critical part of economic recovery in the immediate aftermath of hurricane Katrina. Formerly serving as COO and acting CEO, Emily was a key player in starting and building New Orleans Entrepreneur Week, a conference celebrating entrepreneurship and innovation in the city. 

A longtime New Orleans resident, Emily earned her MBA, Masters of Spanish, and Bachelor of Arts in Spanish and Psychology from Tulane University. Outside of her professional career, Emily is actively engaged in many community endeavors. She is a founding member of Campaign for Equity: New Orleans, a grass roots movement committed to dismantling structural racism in New Orleans, and she sits on the Board of Homer Plessy Community School.