![](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fres.cloudinary.com%2Fdapibcwcy%2Fimage%2Fupload%2Ff_auto%2Fq_auto%2Fv1696872226%2Fcdn%2Fvideo%2FVideo%2520Thumbnails%2FScreenshot_2023-10-09_at_10.23.05_AM.png&w=3840&q=75)
Mark Bradford in Conversation with Laurene Powell Jobs
Mark Bradford
December 09, 2022
Mona Tavakoli discovered the drums at age 11—and hasn’t stopped playing them since. Her career as a drummer, percussionist, singer, and performer has taken her to all seven continents; she was a founding member of the all-female rock band Raining Jane, and wrote and recorded multiple albums with Jason Mraz. She is known for adapting the cajón, a box-shaped percussion instrument originally from Peru, and bringing it to unexpected genres such as rock and pop, eventually designing a signature cajón of her own, The MT Box.
For Tavakoli, making music has always been about connecting with and uplifting others. As the co-founder and co-director of the nonprofit Rock n’ Roll Camp for Girls Los Angeles, she is dedicated to helping girls, women, and female-identifying youth find their voice through music. In 2017, she traveled as a cultural diplomat to collaborate with local artists and facilitate workshops in Tanzania, Zambia, Mozambique, and Malawi, using the power of music to promote women’s entrepreneurship and empowerment. She is currently working with the U.S. Embassy in Zimbabwe to create social change through songwriting.
From Emerson Collective’s Demo Day 2022
Mark Bradford in Conversation with Laurene Powell Jobs
Mark Bradford
Cultivating the Black Imagination Through Innovative and Interactive Experiences
Dario Calmese
Removing Obstacles to Fulfill Educational Potential
Shirley M. Collado, Ph.D.
education
Empowering Sustainable Brands and Decarbonizing Global Supply Chains
Julia Collins
environment
Uncovering Truths About Family-Separation Policy
Caitlin Dickerson
media-journalism
Preserving Democracy through Legal Action and Advocacy
Marc Elias
Transforming Textile Waste into Raw Material Streams
Stacy Flynn
environment
Creating Pathways in the Clean Energy Economy
Dr. Holmes Hummel
environment
Advancing Food Sovereignty, Climate Justice, and Economic Empowerment in the Global South
Solomé Lemma
environment
Transforming the Way People Receive Healthcare
Kyle Michelson
health
Building a Global Movement for Health Equity
Sriram Shamasunder
health
Building Empathy and Equity within the Workforce with VR
Elise Smith
fellowships
Demo Day 2022: "Drum As You Are"
Mona Tavakoli
Reducing Barriers to the STEM fields for Marginalized Youth
Nikki Wallace
education
Demo Day 2022: "What We Carry What We Keep”
ODC
Demo Day 2022: It Takes All of Us
about-us