Tarik Moody

A Life at the Intersection of Food & Technology

Tarik Moody is the Director of Innovation & Strategy at 88Nine Radio Milwaukee, where he's spent nearly two decades pushing public radio into the digital future. He created Rhythm Lab Radio, a nationally syndicated music show blending jazz, electronic, hip-hop, and soul, and spearheaded the launch of HYFIN, Radio Milwaukee's urban alternative channel that launched on Juneteenth 2022 with a $450,000 Corporation for Public Broadcasting grant.

But before he was a radio innovator, Tarik almost became a chef. When choosing a college path, it was between architecture school and culinary school. He chose Howard University's School of Architecture in Washington, D.C. (Class of 1996), where a professor described architecture as “frozen music” — an analogy that would shape his entire career of creative crossovers.

The Food Connection

Tarik co-hosts This Bites, Radio Milwaukee's weekly culinary podcast, alongside Ann Christenson — Milwaukee Magazine's longtime food critic and dining writer (covering the scene since 1997). Together, they explore Milwaukee's restaurant culture, from new openings to the stories behind the city's best dishes. The podcast airs on NPR, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and iHeart.

His culinary style? Korean soul food fusion. Influenced by a close Korean-American friend and the soul food his mother made growing up, he creates dishes that bridge two traditions. As he puts it: “Over time, I got good at cooking Korean, and there's something magical about it.”

Tarik served as a James Beard Award Judge, one of the most prestigious recognitions in the American food world.

Watch: Wisconsin Foodie Cooking Competition

Tarik competed on PBS Wisconsin's Wisconsin Foodie: At the Market, where contestants were given $60 and 60 minutes to shop at the Dane County Farmers' Market, then 60 minutes to cook in the kitchen of Madison's award-winning restaurant L'Etoile. He made “Shrimp of the Woods” — a Korean soul food dish with fried mushrooms and a sweet-and-sour ground cherry sauce.

From Architecture to AI

After Howard, Tarik spent a decade as a professional architect, working at the National Institutes of Health, Northwest Airlines (designing the Detroit Terminal), and RSP Architects in Minneapolis. In 2006, he made the leap to public radio when 88Nine recruited him to help launch the station.

His architecture background followed him — in 2021, he was appointed to Milwaukee's City Plan Commission, where his design expertise informs decisions on zoning, development, and the built environment.

More recently, Tarik has been building AI tools for civic good: Cream City Concierge (a Milwaukee-themed AI city guide), Milwaukee Budget Brewmaster (making public finance accessible through AI), and MKEdev (an AI-powered city development intelligence platform). Digero is the latest — and most personal — of these projects.

Why Digero?

Digero was born out of Tarik's own frustration as a home cook. Recipes scattered across bookmarks, screenshots, YouTube watch-later lists, and scribbled notes on napkins. No app brought it all together — and none of them gave anything back to the creators whose recipes make cooking culture what it is.

Digero is the first recipe app that splits 50% of subscription revenue with creators. Because the people who make the recipes you love deserve to be paid.

Credentials

• ◆Co-host, This Bites culinary podcast (Radio Milwaukee)
• ◆Former James Beard Award Judge
• ◆Director of Innovation & Strategy, 88Nine Radio Milwaukee
• ◆Howard University School of Architecture graduate
• ◆Creator of HYFIN, Radio Milwaukee's urban alternative channel
• ◆Milwaukee City Plan Commissioner
• ◆U.S. Army Reserves veteran (Captain)