About Tilga Foundation
Tilga Foundation is dedicated to empowering young minds through education, and celebrating Black & African artistic excellence around the world.
Founded by Wole Bakare, Tilga launched its first initiative supporting the Arts in partnership with the Yemisi Shyllon Museum of Art in Lagos, Nigeria, providing thousands of high-quality art prints to visiting high school students.
In collaboration with Rele Art Foundation, Tilga Art Prize was established in 2020 awarding grants to five emerging Nigerian artists in its first edition. In 2021, Tilga provided grants to seven winners of the Rele Young Contemporaries program in Nigeria. Since then, while continuing to support Nigerian emerging artists, Tilga has expanded its focus to include young artists in South Africa and Uganda, with a vision to champion artists across the African continent.
Preceding its work in the arts, over the past sixteen years Tilga Scholarships established in honor of Wole’s father, Tola Bakare, have provided financial support to more than thirty college students at several United States institutions including University of California, Riverside, Tuskegee University, The Ohio State University, and Rhode Island School of Design.
Through its initiatives, Tilga Foundation seeks to build a lasting legacy that promotes educational excellence, career readiness, creativity, and cultural contribution worldwide.
About Tilga Fund
Tilga Foundation is dedicated to empowering young minds through education, and celebrating Black & African artistic excellence around the world.
Founded by Wole Bakare in 2020, Tilga Fund launched its first initiative in partnership with the Yemisi Shyllon Museum of Art in Lagos, Nigeria, providing thousands of high-quality art prints to visiting high school students.
In collaboration with Rele Art Foundation, Tilga Art Prize was established in 2020, awarding grants to five emerging Nigerian artists in its first edition. In 2021, Tilga provided grants to seven winners of the Rele Young Contemporaries program in Nigeria. Since then, while continuing to support Nigerian emerging artists, Tilga has expanded its focus to include young artists in South Africa and Uganda, with a vision to champion artists across the African continent.
Preceding its work in the arts, over the past sixteen years Tilga Scholarships established in honor of Wole’s father, Tola Bakare, have provided financial support to more than thirty college students at several United States institutions including University of California, Riverside, Tuskegee University, The Ohio State University, and Rhode Island School of Design.
Through its initiatives, Tilga Foundation seeks to build a lasting legacy that promotes educational excellence, career readiness, creativity, and cultural contribution worldwide.
About Wole Bakare
Wole Bakare has more than 25 years of experience in the cable and telecommunications industry and currently oversees operational performance for Spectrum’s West Region, covering Southern California, Arizona, and Hawaii.
Since 2018, Wole has served on the University of California Riverside Foundation Board of Trustees and is the 2024 - 2026 chair of the board. In March 2024, he was also elected as a board of trustees member of the Denver Art Museum.
Beyond his professional career, Wole is a prolific collector of contemporary and modern art by Black artists across the globe. Through his collection, he hopes to leave a lasting legacy that promotes Black excellence and culture with viewpoints from Europe, Africa, and the Americas.
Over the years, he has received multiple awards and recognitions, including: Most Influential Minorities in the Cable Industry by Cablefax Magazine (multiple years), Top Forty Under 40 in Central Ohio (2010), Luminary Award by the National Association for Multi-ethnicity in Communications (NAMIC) (2009), and Top 50 Under 50 Corporate Executive on the Move by Diversity MBA Magazine (2007).
Wole is the proud father of Daniel Bakare, a creative and business development professional based in Los Angeles, and Dawn Bakare, a marketing professional and entrepreneur based in New York City.
About Wole Bakare
Wole Bakare has more than 25 years of experience in the cable and telecommunications industry and currently oversees operational performance for Spectrum’s West Region, covering Southern California, Arizona, and Hawaii.
Since 2018, Wole has served on the University of California Riverside Foundation Board of Trustees and is the 2024 - 2026 chair of the board. In March 2024, he was also elected as a board of trustees member of the Denver Art Museum.
Beyond his professional career, Wole is a prolific collector of contemporary and modern art by Black artists across the globe. Through his collection, he hopes to leave a lasting legacy that promotes Black excellence and culture with viewpoints from Europe, Africa, and the Americas.
Over the years, he has received multiple awards and recognitions, including: Most Influential Minorities in the Cable Industry by Cablefax Magazine (multiple years), Top Forty Under 40 in Central Ohio (2010), Luminary Award by the National Association for Multi-ethnicity in Communications (NAMIC) (2009), and Top 50 Under 50 Corporate Executive on the Move by Diversity MBA Magazine (2007).
Wole is the proud father of Daniel Bakare, a creative and business development professional based in Los Angeles, and Dawn Bakare, a marketing professional and entrepreneur based in New York City.