Taki Sarhaan
Founder & Steward, The Sarhaan Group

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Taki Sarhaan is a creative steward, educator, and cultural catalyst whose life’s work bridges
art, storytelling, and community impact. Rooted in stewardship rather than ownership, Taki
leads The Sarhaan Group with a guiding belief that creativity is a legacy — one to be
nurtured, amplified, and preserved for future generations.

A graduate of Alabama A&M University with advanced study in Business and Instructional
Leadership, Taki devoted more than three decades to education, including 27 years in
leadership roles. His work in schools shaped not only academic outcomes, but also his deep
conviction that creative expression is essential to identity, confidence, and opportunity.

Inspired by a spiritual calling and a commitment to purposeful living, Taki adopted the
name Sarhaan — Swahili for “God-fearing” and “free” — as a reflection of the values guiding
both his personal journey and professional mission.

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As steward, Taki's role is to ensure that the work, stories, and institutions under Sarhaan Group

are positioned with integrity, longevity, and cultural consequence. His work began with the

thoughtful stewardship of his uncle, acclaimed painter James E. Tatum, whose work is

honored and elevated through The Jimmie Frank Collection — a gallery experience rooted

in heritage, resilience, and cultural dignity.

Expanding beyond visual art, Taki also develops and produces film and television projects
that extend artistic narratives into motion, memory, and mass storytelling. Through TV and
film, he views storytelling as another form of stewardship — preserving voices, histories,
and lived experiences while introducing them to new audiences and future generations.

Today, Taki unites visual art, film, education, and enterprise to champion artists, empower
students, and build creative ecosystems grounded in integrity and intention. Whether
through exhibitions, screen projects, strategic partnerships, or arts education initiatives
such as The JET Foundation for Arts Education, his work is defined not by ownership, but by
care — and by a commitment to ensuring that creativity does not simply exist, but endures.