Wilam Tarris
DePaul University – BFA in Acting

Experience: Working with Adam Hunter in a world premiere musical with Dee Snider from Twisted Sister. 
Ideal Job in 10 Years: Executive Director for an arts organization.  
What led you to enroll in the MSLCE program at Northwestern? I’ve worked concurrently in hospitality/business management and the performing arts, as a union actor/musician, over the past 15 years. With every show I have performed in or tour that I’ve played, I have always been fascinated with the business side of the process, and when I came across the MSLCE program, I knew that it was exactly what I was looking for. 
What are you most looking forwards to about the MSLCE program?  I’m really looking forward to the Speaker Series. I was lucky enough to attend two of them last year, and they were fantastic. 
Favorite (song/movie/show/festival/exhibition … )?  
I love podcasts! The podcasts I look forward to every week are Car Talk and Wait Wait … Don’t Tell Me!,  Malcolm Gladwell’s Revisionist History, Against the Rules by Michael Lewis, and the Making Sense Podcast by Sam Harris. 
Favorite Chicago Landmark/Attraction:  I’ve taken countless walks along the lake, and it never gets old. Chicago really does have one of the most beautiful skylines in the world. 
Describe yourself in 3 words: Loyal, Curious, and Motivated 
Dream place of residence: Being from NYC, there will always be a part of me that wants to go back. 
Personal fortune cookie message: “Question Everything”
If I could donate 1 million dollars to a cause/organization, it would be: The National Endowment for the Arts or PBS. 
Award I’d most like to win: I’ve never been motivated by awards or accolades myself, but I’m always very pleased when people I know win them. 
Leader/Figure that inspires me the most:  Adam Grant, who is an organization psychologist. He focuses on why organizations do what they do, and how they can be more efficient and successful. I’m also a fan of Steven Pinker, having just finished Enlightenment Now: The Case for Reason, Science, Humanism, and Progress. 
Where are you from? New York, NY