Tarik Ward: Dreaming of Life Without Limitations

Dreaming in Color

Welcome to Dreaming in Color, a show hosted by Darren Isom, a partner with The Bridgespan Group, that provides a space for social change leaders of color to reflect on how their life experiences, personal and professional, have prepared them to lead and drive the impact we all seek.

In this episode of Dreaming In Color, guest host Angela Maldonado, a partner at Bridgespan, welcomes Tarik Ward, Director of Global Strategic Operations and U.S. Programs at ELMA Philanthropies. As the manager of digital and physical infrastructure for ELMA Philanthropy Services, Tarik oversees their operations in New York, Cape Town, Johannesburg, and Kampala. He also directs U.S. programming for the ELMA Music Foundation, ELMA U.S. Foundation, and ELMA Caribbean Foundation.

Tarik's innovative approach has significantly expanded the reach and impact of the ELMA Music Foundation both in the U.S. and South Africa. His collaborations with organizations using music for youth development are transforming lives and creating brighter futures.

With a career journey as diverse as it is impressive, Tarik has worked as a flight controller for the International Space Station at NASA, a consultant at Deloitte focusing on education and early childhood development nonprofits, and as the COO of the Commit! Partnership, a nonprofit dedicated to quality education access in Dallas, Texas.

Tarik holds a B.S. in aerospace engineering from MIT, an M.B.A., and an M.A. in education from Stanford University. Beyond his professional achievements, he is a passionate trumpet player and has amassed a digital music collection of nearly 100,000 songs.

Join us as we dive into Tarik's journey, explore his insights on the educational potential of music, and discover how his work is making a global impact.

Jump Straight Into:

(00:22.1) Introduction of Angela Maldonado, Partner at Bridgespan.

(00:52.1) Introduction of Tarik Ward, Director of Global Strategic Operations and U.S. Programs at ELMA Philanthropies.

(01:55.1) Tarik reminisces on the memory of his mother and how she inspired him to dream and learn music.

(06:22.8) Tarik takes us on his journey from musician, to MIT student to eventually flying spaceships for NASA.

(11:56.6) Tarik tells us how he met his wife and how she inspired his journey to Stanford and eventually into education and non-profit work.

(18:28.9) Tarik talks about his non-traditional approach to funding and how he builds relationships with other leaders of color.

(22:19.1) Tarik comments on the current state of philanthropy and paints us a picture of what he hopes the future will look like.

Episode Resources:

• Connect with Tarik through LinkedIn.
• Learn more about ELMA Philanthropies through their website.
• Follow Tarik on Twitter.
• Read Tarik’s interview with Entartain Impact here.
• Learn more about Jamaican composer and musician Ansel Collins here and follow him on Instagram here.
• Listen to the Dreaming In Color Spotify Playlist here.