Recently I had the opportunity to sit in on a zoom call that touched on the life and tremendous achievements of Darren Walker, president of The Ford Foundation. We wanted to feature these two leaders in celebration of Black History Month.
The interview was hosted by the Museum of Arts and Design (MAD) and the legendary André Leon Talley conducted the interview in celebration of Black History Month.
They also discussed Walker’s path to the Ford Foundation, his vision for the future of philanthropy, and the role of museums in reimaging who has a seat at the table and a voice in the room.
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About the Panelists…
Andre Leon Talley
The legendary André Leon Talley has been a staple in the fashion world for past five decades. His byline has appeared: Vanity Fair, HG, and The New York Times.
He began his career as an assistant to Diana Vreeland at The Metropolitan Costume Institute and later worked at Interview magazine, and as Paris Bureau Chief for Women’s Wear Daily. Through hard work and determination, he continued to climb the fashion ladder and became the creative director at Vogue during the magazine’s rising dominance as the world’s fashion bible and thee lists goes on and on.
Darren Walker
Darren Walker is the president of a $13 billion international social justice philanthropy, called the Ford Foundation. He is also co-founder and chair of the Presidents’ Council on Disability Inclusion in Philanthropy.
Before joining Ford, Darren was a vice president at Rockefeller Foundation. In the 1990s, he was COO of the Abyssinian Development Corporation, Harlem’s largest community development organization and the list goes on and on. He is definitely a true philanthropist.
Listening to these two remarkable men was very inspiring. Darren Walker’s experience and insights as a VP and philanthropist goes to show so much. You can never be too great to give back and always remember where you came from. And Andre Leon Tally is the perfect example of working hard to achieve your dream job.
Happy Black History Month!
