Sahar Ali Dar

About Sahar Ali Dar

Sahar is a program manager with 10 years of experience across the legal, higher education, nonprofit, and tech sectors, focused on building people-centered programs that are operationally strong and thoughtfully designed. A corporate lawyer by training who transitioned into program and people-focused roles, she brings a data-driven approach paired with strong interpersonal skills and empathetic listening.Across her work, Sahar has led and supported programs end-to-end — from early-career and recruiting initiatives to broader HR and talent programs — owning program design, operations, stakeholder engagement, and complex virtual and in-person events. She approaches program design and operations as products, using journey mapping, feedback, and data to understand pain points and continuously improve the experience for participants, partners, and teams.Given her varied background, Sahar is comfortable leading cross-functional work, providing clear program and project management oversight, and translating ambiguity into structure. She enjoys roles that sit at the intersection of people, operations, and strategy, where strong execution and human-centered thinking make a meaningful difference.In 2018, Sahar completed a concurrent MBA/MPA at MIT and Harvard, where she consulted for national and global clients in HR, operations strategy, and marketing and communications, and completed internships in strategy, program management, and public-sector operations. During that time, she also also founded and led several DEI and community service initiatives, organized leadership treks, and was honored with multiple peer-nominated awards.More recently, Sahar has been integrating AI tools and lightweight automation into her day-to-day workflow to streamline planning, communications, and analysis, helping teams operate more efficiently without losing the human touch. She is open to Program Manager, Recruiting, and HR roles, particularly with remote or Austin-based teams.Outside of work, Sahar loves learning about the history and culture of different places and is usually planning her next travel adventure.

Experience

1. Lead, Corporate Sponsorships & Strategic Partnerships

   Black In Ai

   Jan 2025 — Present

   Lead corporate sponsorships and strategic partnerships supporting education, career pathways, and early-career programming.•Partner with internal stakeholders to align resourcing, priorities, and delivery timelines.•Coordinate cross-functional planning, timelines, and communications to ensure programs are resourced and delivered smoothly.•Use data and partner feedback to assess impact and inform program improvements.

Education

• MIT Sloan School of Management

  Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.)

• Harvard University

  Master in Public Administration (M.P.A.)

• HR Certification Institute (HRCI) via Coursera

  Human Resource Associate Certificate

  2026

• Case Western Reserve University

  BA/MA dual degree program, BA in Economics, Psychology, Int'l Studies (hon); MA in Bioethics - Public Health Management focus

• University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School

  JD, Law