Lance Banks

New York University, Stern School of Business

“Texas-raised mollusk lover always down to watch a ‘90s big-budget music video.”

Hometown: Dallas, TX

Fun Fact About Yourself: I have seen the band Beach House live more than 25 times. They are my Phish.

Undergraduate School and Major: Yale University, History

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: Senior Manager, Studio Partnerships @ Superfly

Aside from your classmates, what was the key part of NYU Stern’s MBA programming that led you to choose this business school and why was it so important to you? NYU Stern offers a wide range of courses that focus on the entertainment space which was crucial for me. The path for an MBA in entertainment does not feel as straightforward as in other industries, so I wanted to ensure that I can hone skills applicable to my target industry.

What course, club or activity excites you the most at NYU Stern?I am most excited to collaborate and work with people who come from different industries to better understand what motivates them and how they approach different problems in the classroom and in their fields. Additionally, as a Consortium fellow, I look forward to working on initiatives that can increase diversity in my field, potentially with the Entertainment, Media & Sports Association.

What excites you the most about living in New York City and how do you see it enhancing your learning experience? Going to school in New York City allows the opportunity to interact and work with a wide range of businesses and organizations. Over the years, I’ve built a strong network of colleagues in the city. I love that I can stay connected to them while I pursue my studies and begin to apply the lessons I’m learning in business school immediately.

What does EQ (Emotional Intelligence) mean to you and when have you seen its value in your career? It is the ability to read colleagues and discern the most effective way to work with them towards a mutual goal. In my job, I interacted with a variety of different stakeholders and found that a key to moving projects forward lay in knowing how and what to communicate to them.

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: It was helping to develop and launch Clusterfest, a comedy-focused festival in San Francisco, in partnership with Comedy Central. Comedians are used to performing in small, controlled environments, so it was an interesting challenge to draw on Superfly’s experience with music festivals and think through the best way to present them in more unconventional, outdoor spaces. It was also great to showcase a wide range of comedians I love, from Tiffany Haddish to Julio Torres and Jaboukie Young-White.

How did COVID-19 change your perspective on your career and your life in general? Most of my work has focused on bringing large groups of people together. With the pandemic and subsequent halt on all live events, it became clear that they should not be taken for granted. I also had time to grapple with the importance of touring revenue for developing artists and how it can make or break their ability to create. In response, I am thinking about where I can better focus my efforts in the industry so that balance can shift given the uncertainty of the future.

What led you to pursue an MBA at this point and what do you hope to do after graduation? At this stage in my career, I decided that it would be beneficial to contextualize and build upon all the different hats I wore at Superfly, from corporate development to talent negotiation to partnership management. My favorite aspect of my work was being able to help shine light on up-and-coming artists so I’d love to continue to do that somewhere in the entertainment space.

What advice would you give to help potential applicants gain admission into NYU Stern’s MBA program? This may be a cheesy answer, but I think authenticity goes a long way. Showcase your actual interest and passions and drive home how you can bring your unique perspective to the MBA program in a way that will be mutually beneficial.

DON’T MISS: Meet NYU Stern’s MBA Class Of 2023