Dreaming in Color

The Bridgespan Group
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The equitable future we seek requires celebrating the genius of today’s leaders of color. In Dreaming in Color, hear from champions in the charge for equity and justice. Hosted by Darren Isom, a partner in the The Bridgespan Group’s San Francisco office, this podcast offers leaders of color space to share how they have leveraged their unique assets and abilities to embrace excellence, drive impact, and more fully define what success looks like. Grounded in both his New Orleans roots and his experience as a queer Black leader in the social sector, Darren invites listeners into the candid kitchen table conversations that have long helped shape the journeys of BIPOC leaders. Together, we embrace these leaders’ ingenuity, learn from their wisdom and wit, reflect on their words with authenticity and humor, and listen as we think of how we can collectively strive to do and be better. This is Dreaming in Color.

  1. Sep 9

    Dreaming of What Rest Makes Possible

    Burnout is not a personal failing among today's changemakers. It is a systemic cost, one that philanthropy, movements, and communities can no longer afford to ignore. In this episode, we travel to New Orleans for a live conversation on the importance of rest, co-produced with Beloved Community. Gabrielle Wyatt, Founder and CEO at The Highland Project; Rhonda Broussard, Founder and CEO at Beloved Community; and Charmel Gaulden, CEO and President at Foundation for Louisiana, come together to explore rest as a personal practice, a source of spiritual grounding, and an essential part of the infrastructure that sustains movement work. The conversation moves from individual habits: walking, writing, dance, prayer, to the systems that either protect or erode rest for the people doing the most demanding work. Together, they consider what it would mean to build rest into philanthropy, leadership, and community life, not as an afterthought, but as a strategy for sustaining people and movements. Jump straight into: 00:00 Darren opens with a poem framing rest as the still point between waves. 04:47 Gabrielle recalls a personal episode and a warning that her body needed rest. 10:30 Rhonda reframes a solitary walk to the bathroom as her most luxurious rest practice. 15:22 Gabrielle's daily ritual: one sentence of gratitude, written morning and night. 17:20 The panel turns to rest as spiritual practice, tied to prayer, silence, and faith. 23:04 For Rhonda, dance becomes both prayer and stillness. 24:39 Rest as personal practice to rest as infrastructure. 33:00 Rhonda on protecting rest for frontline and operational staff, not only senior leaders. 35:13 Post-Katrina, Charmel built Communities of Care to sustain overworked nonprofit teams. Resources Organizations Referenced: The Highland Project: founded by Gabrielle Wyatt to build and sustain a coalition of Black women leaders closing the racial wealth gap. https://www.thehighlandproject.org/ Beloved Community: founded by Rhonda Broussard, a New Orleans-based nonprofit building sustainable change toward racial and economic equity. https://www.wearebeloved.org/ Foundation for Louisiana: led by Charmel Gaulden, funding climate, racial, gender, and economic justice work across the state. https://www.foundationforlouisiana.org/ Other Resources: “Trough” by Judy Sorum Brown – the poem Darren opens the episode with, published in “Poetry of Presence: An Anthology of Mindfulness Poems.” https://www.ayearofbeinghere.com/2013/08/judy-brown-trough.html Octavia Raheem: rest coach and author referenced by Gabrielle Wyatt as a mentor in her rest practice; author of “Rest Is Sacred.” https://www.octaviaraheem.com/ #DreamingInColor #DEI #LeadersOfColor

  2. Aug 20

    Part 2: Dreaming of Different Definitions of the Value of Culture

    Art doesn't emerge in isolation, and it doesn't end there either. What we owe our artists, and what they owe us back, shapes the culture we all inherit. In this episode, we return to Whitechapel Gallery in London for part two of our conversation with Mariana Mazzucato, Whitechapel Economist in Residence and Professor at University College London; Alvaro Barrington, Artist; and Darren Isom, Partner at The Bridgespan Group, in conversation chaired by Gilane Tawadros, Director at Whitechapel Gallery, as part of the gallery's Art Futures series on the value of culture. Picking up where part one left off, Alvaro reflects on the creative eras and communities that shaped his own practice before the floor opens to audience questions. Together, the panel explores what artists owe their communities, what philanthropy owes when it comes from a place of love rather than obligation, and why measuring what we value may be the key to building something different. Jump straight into: 01:01 Alvaro Barrington reflects on the creative eras that shaped him, from Motown to hip-hop. 07:07 Mariana Mazzucato reframes philanthropy through pre-distribution, not redistribution. 13:11 An audience member asks whether imagination should lead culture, or emerge from it collectively. 15:48 Alvaro on making art that your community, friends, and family genuinely love. 18:32 Why blockbuster culture crowds out the very ecosystems that create it. 20:41 Darren reframes philanthropy through the lens of Black communities' oldest traditions. 23:23 An audience member asks how artistic labor finally reaches the people who hold power. 27:50 A question of reciprocity: what do artists owe back to the city and economy? 34:58 Closing reflections on imagination, permacrisis, and why culture is not a luxury. Resources Organizations and Institutions Referenced Whitechapel Gallery — the London gallery hosting the Art Futures series. The Bridgespan Group — the philanthropic advisory firm where Darren Isom is a partner. UCL Institute for Innovation and Public Purpose (IIPP) — Mariana Mazzucato's institute at University College London. Bezos Earth Fund — referenced in the discussion as an example of philanthropy detached from its source of wealth. Campaign for the Arts — the UK arts advocacy charity represented by an audience question during the panel. Other Resources Have You Heard George's Podcast? — the Peabody Award-winning podcast by George the Poet (George Mpanga), referenced in the discussion on creativity and community investment. #DreamingInColor #DEI #LeadersOfColor

  3. Aug 20

    Part 1: Dreaming of Different Definitions of the Value of Culture

    Value is never simply discovered by markets — it's decided, together, by what a society chooses to fund, protect, and imagine into being. And too often, culture is treated as decoration rather than infrastructure. In this episode, we travel to Whitechapel Gallery in London to speak with Mariana Mazzucato, Whitechapel Economist in Residence and Professor at University College London; Alvaro Barrington, Artist; and Darren Isom, Partner at The Bridgespan Group, in conversation chaired by Gilane Tawadros, Director at Whitechapel Gallery, as part of the gallery's Art Futures series on the value of culture. Together, they explore why culture has been pushed to the periphery of economic and political life, and what it might mean to place it back at the center. Mariana opens with a provocation on rethinking value itself, before the conversation turns to public funding, philanthropy, imagination, and what institutions owe the communities they serve. Jump straight into: 04:50 Mariana Mazzucato argues culture belongs at the center of economic thinking, not its edges. 08:48 Rethinking the common good means designing economies with people, not simply for them. 12:50 Public Practice shows how public institutions once relied on in-house creative and design expertise. 16:55 Static metrics like ticket sales miss the deeper value that institutions create. 21:49 Darren Isom reflects on imagination as central to strategy, not ornamental to it. 25:40 Alvaro Barrington challenges the room to reconsider what government and art owe each other. 30:08 Public investment quietly built today's AI industry, a history rarely part of the conversation. 36:05 Darren traces his optimism to generations who learned to find light in darkness. 39:31 Good philanthropy acts as a force of permanence, not a replacement for government. Resources Organizations and Institutions Referenced Whitechapel Gallery — the London gallery hosting the Art Futures series, marking its 125th anniversary in 2026. Art Futures: The Value of Culture — the Whitechapel Gallery talks series exploring the role of public art institutions. UCL Institute for Innovation and Public Purpose (IIPP) — Mariana Mazzucato's institute at University College London. Public Practice — a UK nonprofit placing architects and designers within local government. V&A East — the Victoria and Albert Museum's East London site, referenced in the discussion on public value. The Bridgespan Group — the philanthropic advisory firm where Darren Isom is a partner. Other Resources The Common Good Economy: A New Compass — Mariana Mazzucato's book (Penguin, 2026), the foundation for her provocation in this episode. #DreamingInColor #DEI #LeadersOfColor

  4. Jul 15

    Dreaming of Art, Place, and Community

    Episode Notes: What we build, and what we choose to save, reveals what we believe the future is owed. In this episode, we travel to Chicago's South Side — to The Land School, a building Theaster Gates rescued from demolition — for a conversation about Black cultural production, community stewardship, and the long arc of institution-building. We speak with Theaster Gates, Artist & Founder and Executive Director at Rebuild Foundation; Michelle Boone, President and CEO at The Poetry Foundation; Marshall Hatch Jr., Co-Founder and Executive Director at MAAFA Redemption Project; and Faheem Majeed, Artist, Educator, and Co-Founder and Co-Director at Floating Museum. Together, they explore what it means to build and sustain worlds of possibility rooted in art, faith, place, and the slow, deliberate work of community. The conversation moves through questions of time and transformation, the distinction between culture and artist, how faith shapes long-term vision, and what it actually requires to invest in futures we may not live to see. Rooted in the specific geography of Chicago's South and West sides, it is also a conversation about what any city owes the people who made it. Jump straight into: 00:00 Introduction. 02:50 Theaster Gates on his calling: stopping the demolition of Black space. 04:50 Michelle Boone on growing up less than a half mile from The Land School and returning to the community that shaped her. 06:30 Faheem Majeed on Margaret Burroughs, the South Side Community Arts Center, and building with rather than for. 08:50 Marshall Hatch Jr. on his grandfather's 1924 journey from Mississippi to Chicago and what it means to carry a 100-year inheritance. 12:50 Structure as permission, not limitation, and why a neighborhood needs 50 years to think about its total transformation. 15:35 Buying land before speculation, seeing beauty when things are not beautiful, and building an infrastructure of language that says Black people deserve great places to be. 17:50 Philanthropy's resistance to long-term thinking and why the goal of great cultural work is not to survive forever, but to build toward a future where it is no longer needed. 21:00 Cathedral thinking, the Sankofa Wellness Village, and 33 years of community-building in West Garfield Park. 31:00 Faith in the unseen, Reinhold Niebuhr, and why receiving the baton and passing it on is liberation. 37:46 The arrogance of perpetuity and making the case for going hard and deep with philanthropic resources. 46:35 Funders as collaborators and why transparency and dialogue produce better outcomes than performance. 47:00 The difference between art and arts, why systems love culture but resist artists, and the extraction problem in cultural philanthropy. Resources: Rebuild Foundation: Theaster Gates's cultural organization dedicated to neighborhood revitalization on Chicago's South Side through art, preservation, and community development. The Poetry Foundation: An independent literary organization committed to a vigorous presence for poetry in our culture, home to Poetry magazine. MAAFA Redemption Project: Marshall Hatch Jr.'s organization working at the intersection of faith, healing, and community restoration in West Garfield Park, Chicago. Floating Museum: Faheem Majeed's co-founded arts organization operating on the principle that the city is the museum, neighborhoods are galleries, and citizens are cultural producers. South Side Community Art Center: One of the oldest African American art institutions in the United States, foundational to Faheem Majeed's practice. Other Resources: Toni Morrison: Referenced in the opening invocation: "This is precisely the time when artists go to work. There is no time for despair, no place for self-pity, no need for silence, no room for fear. We speak, we write, we do language. That is how civilizations heal." W.E.B. Du Bois: Referenced by Marshall Hatch Jr.: "Art is the spirit that knows beauty." Reinhold Niebuhr: Theologian referenced by Marshall Hatch Jr.: "Nothing worth doing can ever be achieved in our lifetime, therefore we must be saved by faith." Sankofa Wellness Village: West Garfield Park capital project; the largest investment in the neighborhood since 1968, developed by MAAFA Redemption Project. #DreamingInColor #DEI #LeadersOfColor

  5. May 25

    Dreaming of Place, Purpose, and Possibility

    Stories of return are never just about geography—they’re about identity, belonging, and the futures people choose to build together. In this episode, we travel to Gorée Island for a conversation about history, connection, and possibility across Africa and its global diaspora. Wiatta Thomas, Co-Founder, Strategic Advisor, and Board President at Dare to Innovate, Dedo N. Baranshamaje, Interim Executive Director at Segal Family Foundation, and Tijan Watt, Co-Founder and Managing Partner at Wuri Ventures, explore how culture, community, and creativity are shaping the continent’s future. Key Takeaways 00:00 Introduction. 01:42 Gorée Island’s history and the significance of the Door of No Return. 02:16 Reframing the Door of No Return as a “door of return.” 25:22 Community and family as central values shaping African cultural rhythms. 26:00 Time as relational, starting when the community gathers. 34:34 Building belonging through connections across African countries. 39:02 Moving forward rather than choosing between East and West. 41:10 The importance of building systems that connect Africans globally. 44:32 Dialogue and shared perspectives as a path to understanding. Organizations and Institutions Referenced: Dare to Innovate – A global network and platform that supports leadership, innovation, and community building across the African diaspora. Segal Family Foundation – A philanthropic organization that supports African-led organizations focused on social impact and community development. Wuri Ventures – An investment and venture firm focused on supporting African entrepreneurship and innovation across the continent. Dream VC – A venture capital training institute that prepares and connects the next generation of investors focused on Africa’s startup ecosystem. Slush – A global startup and venture capital event that brings together founders, investors, and technology leaders. Other Resources: C.L.R. James – Trinidadian historian, journalist, and political thinker known for his writings on Pan-Africanism, colonialism, and Black political thought. #DreamingInColor #DEI #LeadersOfColor

  6. Apr 30

    Dreaming of Collective Futures in the Age of AI

    Welcome to Dreaming in Color LIVE, a special series within the Dreaming in Color universe, hosted by Darren Isom, a partner with The Bridgespan Group. This is our live conversation and convening series held in small rooms, at shared tables, recorded in real time with a live audience. The format is different, but the spirit is the same: the equitable future we seek requires celebrating the genius of today’s leaders of color. Later in the year, we will return with our rich Dreaming in Color one-on-one conversations. In the meantime, enjoy following us on the road as we wrestle with the boldest questions of our time. Today’s episode comes live from LA Tech Week. A future where technology reflects community, culture, and justice doesn’t happen by accident but through intention and imagination. We sit down with Ebele Okobi, Principal at Revolutionary Projects; Afua Bruce, Founder and CEO at ANB Advisory Group; and Will Drewery, Founder and CEO at Diagon Technologies. Together, they reflect on how identity, cultural intelligence, and lived experience inform the way they understand and reimagine technology. Alana Cheeks-Lomax and Gary Johnson, Co-Founders and CEO at UNTOLD kicks things off and closes us out. Jump straight into: 00:00 Introduction. 08:09 “Imagination is infrastructure” — the importance of envisioning before we build. 13:18 The value of imagining new systems rather than reshaping the ones we’ve been given. 18:29 AI can improve systems, but must not replace community and connection. 22:13 Much of what we call AI is marketing, which is resource-intensive and widely misunderstood. 25:32 Solidarity is essential, and creativity and art are strengths worth protecting. 29:26 Our basic needs stay the same, and AI is becoming part of how we address them. 33:36 We need real education on what AI actually means, not just how to use it. 35:34 Respect expertise and fund the people already doing the work. 38:03 Building community power starts with investing in each other. Resources UNTOLD website ANB Advisory Group website Diagon Technologies website #DreamingInColor #DEI #LeadersOfColor

  7. Apr 1

    Dreaming of Stories That Move Systems

    Stories shape how we see one another, and whether we believe change is possible. In this episode, we travel to the Foster Museum in Palo Alto to speak with Film Producer, CEO of 1Community, and Founder of the Anti-Recidivism Coalition, Scott Budnick; VP of Impact at 1Community, Rachel Cooke; and Tony Award-winning Performer/Writer/Director/Producer and Founder at Foment Productions, Sarah Jones. Together, they explore how storytelling across film, community organizing, and comedy can shift perception and create space for empathy. The conversation examines the role of narrative in criminal justice reform, the importance of hope and opportunity for transformation, and how humor can open minds in ways traditional advocacy often cannot. Jump straight into: 00:00 Introduction. 02:50 Why imagination can be one of the most powerful forms of liberation. 06:21 Why laughter opens the mind and creates space for empathy. 09:29 Reflection on how hope can transform people and reveal who they were always meant to be. 16:38 The powerful film moment that led Scott Budnick to leave Hollywood and focus on justice reform. 18:50 How stories can help us recognize the full humanity of others and resist defining people by their worst mistakes. 24:01 A reflection on the importance of belonging and representation in shaping identity. 37:54 Rachel Cooke argues that it’s time to create a new storytelling playbook for cultural change. 38:19 Why leaning into community-driven storytelling may be key to building a more just future. Resources Anti-Recidivism Coalition (ARC) - A nonprofit founded by Scott Budnick that supports formerly incarcerated individuals through advocacy, reentry programs, and leadership development. Foment Productions - Sarah Jones’s production company focused on storytelling that explores pluralism, culture, and social impact. One Community (1C) - An impact entertainment company that connects film and television storytelling with real-world community engagement and social change. Stanford film study – Researchers Jennifer Eberhardt PhD and Jamil Zaki PhD study racial bias and empathy. Scott Budnick references their Stanford study that examines how storytelling and films like “Just Mercy” can shift public attitudes. Films Mentioned in the Conversation: "12 Years a Slave" - The Oscar-winning historical drama about Solomon Northup’s life in slavery "Just Mercy" - A film about confronting wrongful convictions and injustice in the US legal system "Sell/Buy/Date" - A film written, directed, and performed by Sarah Jones based on her stage show, using multiple characters to explore themes of identity, gender, and sex work through storytelling and humor "The Hangover" - The hit, produced by Scott Budnick before he shifted to justice reform work, that became one of the most successful R-rated comedies ever "Who Framed Roger Rabbit" - A groundbreaking film blending live action and animation, that Rachel Cooke talks about #DreamingInColor #DEI #LeadersOfColor

  8. 08/07/2025

    Tijan Watt: Dreaming of the Continent as Cradle, Compass, and Catalyst

    In this episode, we travel to Gorée Island in Dakar to speak with Tijan Watt, an entrepreneur and impact investor building a bold future for African innovation. Rooted in a transatlantic heritage that includes Tuskegee and Senegal, Tijan shares how both his African and Black American family history, HBCU education, and deep cultural pride shaped his path. Through his work with Wuri Ventures, Tijan champions local entrepreneurship, risk-taking, and creativity grounded in African realities. He reflects on moving to Senegal to invest in talent, nurture community, and reimagine development from within. For Tijan, meaningful innovation starts with love, local knowledge, and the freedom to imagine—and build—on your own terms. JUMP TO’s 1:48 Jam Tan! Tijan shares the Pulaar phrase for “peace only” kicking off the conversation with peace. 5:50 The importance of Black excellence and the legacy of ancestors, including Tijan’s great-aunt Norma, a researcher on the polio vaccine. 9:21 Talking about his own academic and professional journey, including his time at Howard University. 11:46 Tijan shares his initial impressions of Senegal. 20:57 He explains the concept of entrepreneurial capital and the importance of taking risks and creating jobs in Africa. 40:09 Tijan discusses the concept of a "winning Senegal" and the importance of self-belief and positive change. 41:03 The need for African countries to take control of their own destiny. 42:07 Tijan discusses the future of innovation and entrepreneurship in Africa and the importance of creating spaces for entrepreneurs. 42:50 He emphasizes the need for African countries to leverage their cultural assets and create opportunities for young people and explore the continent’s “soft power”. 45:43 Darren wraps up the episode, and the season.

    Tijan Watt: Dreaming of the Continent as Cradle, Compass, and Catalyst
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About

The equitable future we seek requires celebrating the genius of today’s leaders of color. In Dreaming in Color, hear from champions in the charge for equity and justice. Hosted by Darren Isom, a partner in the The Bridgespan Group’s San Francisco office, this podcast offers leaders of color space to share how they have leveraged their unique assets and abilities to embrace excellence, drive impact, and more fully define what success looks like. Grounded in both his New Orleans roots and his experience as a queer Black leader in the social sector, Darren invites listeners into the candid kitchen table conversations that have long helped shape the journeys of BIPOC leaders. Together, we embrace these leaders’ ingenuity, learn from their wisdom and wit, reflect on their words with authenticity and humor, and listen as we think of how we can collectively strive to do and be better. This is Dreaming in Color.

Information

  • Creator
    The Bridgespan Group
  • Years Active
    2022 - 2026
  • Episodes
    51
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2026 The Bridgespan Group
  • Show Website
    Dreaming in Color

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