Julie Egan is a cultural strategist and fourth-generation Detroiter whose work bridges the worlds of diplomacy, global partnerships, and the arts.

With over two decades of experience in international affairs, including as a diplomat and senior White House official under the Obama Administration, Julie has built a career at the intersection of cultural diplomacy, creative economies, and global coalition building.

In 2014, after being dispatched to Detroit in the aftermath of the city’s historic municipal bankruptcy, she launched a long-term exploration into how international partnerships and cultural exchange could support the city’s renewal. Through hundreds of conversations with artists, cultural institutions, and civic stakeholders, Julie identified a critical need for global access and visibility within Detroit’s creative ecosystem.

This work inspired her to found Salonnière, a cultural diplomacy practice based in Detroit, and later DETROIT SALON™, an international arts platform launched in 2025 that is dedicated to promoting Detroit’s contemporary artists on the world stage. Bringing a distinct perspective to the art world, shaped by her experience in diplomacy, cultural strategy and global partnerships, Julie leads a multidisciplinary team to bring DETROIT SALON to life. Drawing on the historic salon model—gatherings that bring people together around art, food and conversation—she fosters cross-cultural exchange and builds new, more inclusive ways of engaging with contemporary art.

Julie’s earlier career includes leading high-profile initiatives on entrepreneurship diplomacy, food diplomacy, and fashion diplomacy at the U.S. State Department. A Fulbright Scholar who has lived and worked across Africa, the Middle East, and Europe, she is currently a Senior Fellow for Global Partnerships at the Michigan Municipal League Foundation, serves on the Detroit Institute of Arts’ African and African American Art Board, and is an appointee to the Michigan Arts and Culture Council by the Governor of Michigan. Julie holds degrees from Columbia University in New York, Sciences Po Paris and James Madison College (Michigan State University).