Davar Ardalan

Davar Ardalan is an AI Strategist at Booz Allen and the former Founder of TulipAI. A co-author of the forthcoming book AI and Community, to be published by Taylor & Francis in 2025, Ardalan blends AI with creative content and cultural preservation.A former NPR and National Geographic executive, she is a champion of Cultural AI, advocating for the preservation of knowledge and tradition in the digital age. Ardalan's work has been featured in The New York Times.

Watch her AI historical readings on Vimeo. Check out Davar on Spotify, Medium, and LinkedIn. Fun fact: she has also been featured in Zippy the Pinhead.

Working with Davar?

Davar's contributions have made a significant impact on National Geographic. She has helped expand the reach of our content across our parent company, The Walt Disney Company, and our non-profit partners at the National Geographic Society. Her efforts with “Into the Depths” resulted in National Geographic Magazine featuring the first Black woman Explorer on its cover in its 134-year history.-- Michael Tribble, VP Multi-Platform Content National Geographic 2023

Few humans are as far ahead of the tech community as Davar Ardalan in understanding and making accessible the criticality and value of pairing story, memory, culture, diversity with data/ai projects.

-- Carrie Jaquith, Global Head of Product Abaxx Technologies

“I had the pleasure of collaborating with Davar on a pilot spatial audio series, where she oversaw the use of ambisonic microphones in the field. I took one of these microphones to the Ecuadorian Amazon, and Davar's expertise and guidance were invaluable. Her deep understanding of spatial audio's potential elevated the final production, creating an immersive and resonant narrative.”

-- Kiliii Yuyan, National Geographic Explorer