Dreaming in Color
Dreaming in Color is a podcast hosted by Darren Isom, a partner at The Bridgespan Group, that features conversations with leaders of color about their journeys, successes, and the unique assets they bring to the fight for equity and justice. The show aims to create a space for candid, kitchen-table discussions that celebrate the genius and wisdom of BIPOC leaders. Grounded in Darren's own experiences as a queer Black leader, the podcast blends authenticity, humor, and reflection to inspire listeners to strive for a more equitable future.
Episodes
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 Exe
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 Executi
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 o
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. To
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
Farah Mami: Dreaming of Liberation Rooted in Love
In this episode, we journey to Tunis to speak with Farah Mami, philanthropist, impact investor, and social entrepreneur committed to leading with heart, integrity, and deep cultural pride. Rooted in both Tunisia and France, Farah moves between worlds—geographically, spiritually, and professionally. She shares a powerful story of reclaiming authenticity, navigating the tensions of belonging, and re
Feven Tsehaye: Dreaming of What Heals and Holds Us
In this episode, we travel to Addis Ababa to speak with Feven Tsehaye, a purpose-driven entrepreneur, healer, and founder and CEO of Chakka Origins—a social enterprise reclaiming the wisdom of Ethiopia’s ancestral knowledge around biodiversity and indigenous plants while working with female smallholder farming communities. Feven’s story is rooted in both tradition and transformation as she draws o
Madji Sock: Dreaming of Shared Wealth and Shared Wisdom
In this episode, we head to Dakar to speak with Madji Sock, an insightful entrepreneur, investor, and ecosystem builder whose work bridges tradition and innovation across Senegal and beyond. Madji brings a grounded, fearless presence shaped by a childhood split between continents, a deep reverence for Senegalese culture, and a belief in the transformative power of women. From co-founding the Women
Ore Disu: Dreaming of New Worlds in Conversation with Old Ones
In this episode, we travel to Benin City, Nigeria, to speak with Ore Disu, a visionary cultural strategist and founding director of the Institute of the Museum of West African Art (MOWAA). Ore is reshaping how we understand history, art, and African identity. From childhood days spent leafing through family photo albums in Lagos to building a groundbreaking institution at the heart of Nigeria’s cu
Nwabisa Mayema: Dreaming of Finding Home Under New Suns
In this episode, we journey to Johannesburg to speak with Nwabisa Mayema, a dynamic social entrepreneur and fierce advocate for women’s leadership across Africa. Nwabisa brings a bold and grounded presence to every space she enters. Her path—from accounting student to self-made entrepreneur, partnership strategist, and global convener—has been shaped by a deep belief in purpose, community, and the
Tom Osborn: Dreaming of Community Healing
In this week’s episode, we travel to Nairobi to speak with Tom Osborn, a visionary social entrepreneur and community-rooted leader whose work is reshaping how we think about mental health, sustainability, and youth empowerment in Africa. From growing up in a rural Kenyan village to launching his first clean energy venture at 18 and studying at Harvard, Tom’s path has been guided by a radical belie
Lekgetho Makola: Dreaming of Photo Making with Love and Purpose
In this week’s episode, we travel to Johannesburg to speak with Lekgetho Makola, a visual storyteller, cultural strategist, and arts executive whose work spans decades and continents. From his early days sculpting clay animals in rural Limpopo to curating critical archives at Robben Island and studying under film legends at Howard University, Lekgetho shares how his journey has been shaped by care
Leila Ben-Gacem: Dreaming of Beautiful Obsessions
In this week’s episode, we travel to Tunisia to talk with Leila Ben-Gacem, a social entrepreneur and cultural preservationist, who shares her journey from biomedical engineering to community-based entrepreneurship in the heart of Tunis’ historic Medina. The conversation takes place at Dar Ben Gacem, her boutique hotel and social enterprise that not only revitalizes a historical space but also empo
Semhar Araia: Dreaming of Borders as Bridges
In this episode Semhar Araia, CEO of the Diaspora Academy, discusses the transformative power of diasporic life—from visiting Eritrea as a teenager to working there professionally—highlighting the emotional and political significance of being both from a place and apart from it. She shares the story behind her name, revealing a powerful lineage tied to Eritrea’s struggle and resistance.The convers
Dreaming in Color Season 5 Trailer
In our fifth season, host Darren Isom and guest host Elisabeth Makumbi travel throughout Africa to spotlight extraordinary leaders from across the continent, from South Africa to Tunisia, with stops in Kenya, Ethiopia, Nigeria, and Senegal along the way. These conversations highlight Africa as a key driver of global innovation and leadership, where bold, values-driven leadership is shaping a
Dreaming of Joy: Finding Light As We Reimagine Power and Possibility
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 bonus episode, Darren is joined by a dynamic panel of philanthropic leaders: Don Chen (President of Sur
Mia Birdsong: Dreaming of Collective Care and Collective Freedom
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. Today we welcome Mia Birdsong, a pathfinder, writer, and facilitator who engages the leadership and wisdom of p
Naomi Ostwald Kawamura: Dreaming of Histories That Heal
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, we sit down with Naomi Ostwald Kawamura, the Executive Director of Densho, an organization dev
Tarik Ward: Dreaming of Life Without Limitations
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
Jamie Allison: Dreaming of Embracing the Fullness of Time
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, we welcome Jamie Allison, Executive Director of the Walter & Elise Haas Fund. In her tenur
Rukaiyah Adams: Dreaming of Visionary Capital
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, our guest host, Jasmine Reliford, a Manager at Bridgespan, welcomes Rukaiyah Adams, a distingu
Frankie Miranda: Dreaming Of A Place We Can All Call Home
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, we welcome Frankie Miranda, the first openly gay President and CEO of the Hispanic Federation.
Liz Thompson: Dreaming of Love That Transforms
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, Nithin Iyengar, Partner at Bridgespan and head of the San Francisco office, sits down with lon
Erika Alexander: Dreaming of Narratives That Transcend
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, we welcome Erika Alexander, an actress known for iconic roles like Maxine Shaw in Living Singl
Dreaming In Color Season 4 Trailer
Y'all, I'm back! Welcome to Dreaming in Color, where we sit down with social change leaders of color to learn how their unique life experiences have prepared them to lead and drive the impact we all seek.I'm your host, Darren Isom, and this season I'm lucky to have a few of my Bridgespan colleagues dropping in to join me as guest hosts. Join us for Dreaming in Color, available every Thursday on
Robert Rooks: Dreaming of Justice Reimagined
Welcome to Dreaming in Color, a show hosted by Christian Celeste Tate and Anum Qadir from 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, Christian interviews Robert Rooks, CEO of REFORM Alliance, founded after
Rebecca Dixon: Dreaming of Occupational Liberation
Welcome to Dreaming in Color, a show hosted by Christian Celeste Tate and Anum Qadir from 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, Anum sits down with Rebecca Dixon, President and CEO of the National Empl
Brea Baker: Dreaming of Radical Love
Welcome to Dreaming in Color, a show hosted by Christian Celeste Tate and Anum Qadir from 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, we speak with Brea Baker, a Freedom Fighter and Writer working on the fro
Arlan Hamilton: Dreaming of Black Millionaires
Welcome to Dreaming in Color, a show hosted by Christian Celeste Tate and Anum Qadir from 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, we sit down with Arlan Hamilton, a trailblazing investor and founder of B
Michael Tubbs: Dreaming of Shared Abundance
Welcome to Dreaming in Color, a show hosted by Christian Celeste Tate and Anum Qadir from 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, we welcome Michael Tubbs, who at the age of 26 became the youngest mayor
Dreaming In Color: Next Gen Season Trailer
Welcome to Dreaming in Color: Next Gen, 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. Join in on these candid, kitchen table conversations, where together, we can make a difference. We celebrate these leaders ingenuity, are inspired by their wisdom, and learn how collecti
LIVE in New Orleans at Essence Fest!
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, we journey down to New Orleans during Essence Fest for Bridgespan’s very first live episode re
Takema Robinson-Llewellyn: Dreaming of a Self-Love Revolution
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. Takema Robinson is a mother, entrepreneur, social justice strategist, and avid advocate for Black women and rad
Bridgit Antoinette Evans: Dreaming of Positive Obsessions
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, we welcome Bridgit Antoinette Evans, a decorated artist, philanthropic executive, and thought
F. Javier Torres-Campos: Dreaming of Building a Love Economy
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, we sit down with Javier Torres, an anti-racist philanthropic leader committed to liberated and
Sharif El-Mekki: Dreaming of Liberation Through Education
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, we speak with Sharif El-Mekki, the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of the Center for Black
Kalia Abiade: Dreaming of a Soft Place to Land
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, we welcome Kalia Abiade, vice president of programs at Pillars Fund, a national nonprofit soci
María Teresa Kumar: Dreaming of a Vibrant Democracy
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, we welcome María Teresa Kumar, an Emmy-nominated political and voting rights activist who has
Mary Annaïse Heglar: Dreaming of Shared Joy
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, we welcome Mary Annaïse Heglar, a Writer and Climate Activist whose work focuses on climate ch
Simran Jeet Singh: Dreaming of Radical Introspection
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, we welcome Simran Jeet Singh, a scholar, author, and champion of equity, who leads Aspen Insti
Dreaming in Color - Season 2 Trailer
Welcome to Dreaming In Color, a show that provides a platform for BIPOC social change leaders to candidly share how their lived experiences (personal and professional) have prepared them to lead their work and drive the impact we all seek.
Nate Wong: Unlearning to Lead
Show descriptionWelcome to Dreaming in Color, a show that provides a platform for BIPOC social change leaders to candidly share how their lived experiences (personal and professional) have prepared them to lead their work and drive the impact we all seek. In this episode, we are joined by Nate Wong, Chief Strategy and Social Innovation Officer of the Beeck Center, an experiential hub to incub
Ashindi Maxton: Winning the Battle for America’s Imagination
Show descriptionWelcome to Dreaming in Color, a show that provides a platform for BIPOC social change leaders to candidly share how their lived experiences (personal and professional) have prepared them to lead their work and drive the impact we all seek. In this episode, our guest is Ashindi Maxton. She is a Co-founder and former Executive Director of the Donors of Color Network, an organiza
Raymond Foxworth, Ph.D.: Innovation & Indigenous Resistance
Show descriptionWelcome to Dreaming in Color, a show that provides a platform for BIPOC social change leaders to candidly share how their lived experiences (personal and professional) have prepared them to lead their work and drive the impact we all seek. In this episode, Raymond Foxworth joins the show to talk about his experience growing up in a matrilineal society, land preservation as par
Carmen Rojas, Ph.D.: The Promise & Curse of Philanthropy
Show descriptionWelcome to Dreaming in Color, a show that provides a platform for BIPOC social change leaders to candidly share how their lived experiences (personal and professional) have prepared them to lead their work and drive the impact we all seek. In this episode, Dr. Carmen Rojas, the President and Chief Executive Officer at the Marguerite Casey Foundation, joins the show. She shares
Urvashi Vaid: The Relay Race to Liberation
Show descriptionWelcome to Dreaming in Color, a show hosted by Darren Isom, a partner with The Bridgespan Group, that provides a space for BIPOC social change leaders to candidly share how their life experiences (personal and professional) have prepared them to lead and drive the impact we all seek. In this episode, we welcome Urvashi Vaid, an Indian-American LGBTQ rights activist, lawyer, an
Rhonda Broussard: Staying Centered in Joy
Show descriptionWelcome to Dreaming in Color, a show hosted by Darren Isom, a partner with The Bridgespan Group, that provides a space for BIPOC social change leaders to candidly share how their life experiences (personal and professional) have prepared them to lead and drive the impact we all seek. In this episode, we talk with Rhonda Broussard, an award-winning education entrepreneur, publi
Dreaming in Color - Trailer
Welcome to Dreaming In Color, a show that provides a platform for BIPOC social change leaders to candidly share how their lived experiences (personal and professional) have prepared them to lead their work and drive the impact we all seek.
Recommended
Giants Talk: A San Francisco Giants Podcast
The Handlebar Podcast
رختکن بازندهها
Deadline: White House
Thrilling Threads - Conspiracy Theories, Strange Phenomena, True Crime, Unsolved Mysteries, etc!
The Daily Conspiracy Podcast
Bible Tea
2819 Church
Markus Schulz presents Global DJ Broadcast
The Daily
The Joe Rogan Experience
The Church of What's Happening Now: The New Testament
