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In 2020, Akilah Darden founded The Darden Group, an executive construction management and training firm that specializes in helping companies find minority contractors for projects. In its first year, it landed a contract with Cook Medical to attract and engage minority businesses—with the goal of achieving 100% minority participation on Cook’s manufacturing plant project on the far-east side. Quickly, The Darden Group reached 100% participation, with 97% of the firms owned by people of color and the other 3% being women- and veteran-owned businesses. She’s also the design and construction director of diversity, inclusion and supplier diversity for Indiana University Health.
Something surprising
I write poetry. I have a book in the Library of Congress.
Hobbies
One of my favorite hobbies is to travel. To travel and experience good food, different cultures, meet new people and enjoy life to the fullest. I love to travel with my family (husband, four kids and mother), but I also once a year take a big trip with my best friend.
Admires most
My parents. They were very supportive of me, my twin sister and my brother. We all are entrepreneurs. I’m a parent to four kids, and I constantly wonder how they did it and maintain careers. They are the [motivation] behind my husband and I being the best parents we can be while exposing our kids to different experiences, place and food.
Listening to
“Fill Me Up,” by Tasha Cobbs
Advice for a young person
Do the hard stuff. Find a problem, research it, talk to others about their thoughts and solve it.
On leadership
Lead with empathy and be intentional about diversity. Lead with your ears first. Seek to understand before being understood. Lean into all generations for ideas and inspiration, and learn how to manage high performers. Embrace high performers and give them a runway to push their intellect and creativity. Most importantly, provide an environment where everyone feels accepted and that they belong. You will start to see the “impossible” become a habit.
Sabbatical topic
Intentional self-care. Traveling the world, meeting new people, learning new languages, eating the ethnic foods and learning new cultures.•
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