Michelle Essomé

Michelle Kathryn Essomé (née Taylor) is a former investment banker and the ex-CEO of the African Private Equity and Venture Capital Association (AVCA). She is also an ambassador of Build Africa, an international development and education charity based in London, England.

Early life and education Essomé was born in New York She was raised in Washington D.C. and also lived in Niger for a short period as a child.

Essomé was initially interested in politics, but, during her time at Howard University, her interest switched to finance. Consequently, she transferred to the Howard University's School of Business, where she obtained a BBA in Finance and was a recipient of a Wall Street Journal scholarship.

Later on, whilst working for Goldman Sachs, she won an MBA scholarship at Columbia Business School, Essomé is the inaugural recipient of the Columbia Business School Young Alumni of the Year Award (2014).

Personal life Hobbies include running, swimming, reading and travelling.