The Chad Smith Foundation Welcomes Ward Poulos to Its Board of Directors
The Chad Smith Foundation is proud to welcome Ward Poulos to its Board of Directors.
Ward is a technology entrepreneur and co-founder of ZipRecruiter, where he helped build one of the world's leading online employment marketplaces. In his free time, Ward is a musician and advocate for music education, making our mission especially meaningful to him.
We spoke with Ward about his connection to music and what excites him about joining the foundation's board.
How has music played a role in your life?
Music has been a consistent and powerful thread throughout my life. My father and grandfather played piano and I have many memories of 'Heart and Soul' duets by my grandpa's side. After our pots and pans had received enough of a beating, I started playing drums in 5th grade, first in my school band, and then taking years of private lessons. Early music instruction planted and cultivated a seed I've carried with me for over 40 years, playing in rock bands in college, and later when I moved to Los Angeles. Although my professional career took a different path, my musical endeavors have always been central to me, and have played a massive role in my identity and personal life.
How do you feel your experience as an entrepreneur and co-founder has prepared you to help grow a nonprofit organization?
Helping to build ZipRecruiter from a dining room table startup to a public company taught me how to be scrappy, move fast with imperfect information, and stay laser-focused on the people we're actually serving. I bring that same startup energy to the Chad Smith Foundation: I'm eager to roll up my sleeves and contribute in whatever way the organization needs to fulfill our mission.
What drew you to wanting to be a part of the Chad Smith Foundation?
I had already been considering creating, or finding, a philanthropic project to provide musical instruments or education to underserved communities. Serendipitously, I saw a social media post about the newly formed Chad Smith Foundation and immediately reached out to get involved. I've been lucky enough to have spent time around Chad, and we've even played music together, so I knew the foundation was being done right and truly from the heart. It just made perfect sense to me on multiple levels, and aligned 100% with the impact I wanted to make.
Why do you think access to music education matters today?
Music teaches things you don't typically get in a traditional classroom: discipline, listening, collaboration, and the confidence to express yourself. For a lot of kids, it's also where they craft their identity and find 'their people.' It's certainly enriched my own life in more ways than I can count. Missing out on that, especially in under-resourced communities, is a loss that compounds over generations. Now more than ever, with arts and music programs facing serious funding cuts, it matters that we do whatever we can to make sure every kid has access to the same inspiration and instruction I was lucky enough to receive.
What are you most looking forward to contributing during your time on the board?
I'm thrilled to be part of the Chad Smith Foundation during such an exciting early chapter. There's a real entrepreneurial spirit here where everything feels possible and we can move quickly, and that's a space I know well. Bringing a business mindset to the administrative side of the organization, while also helping shape decisions that broaden our reach and deepen our impact, is what excites me most.
What impact do you hope the foundation will have in the next five years?
If we do this right, I believe the Chad Smith Foundation can substantially grow its donor base and relationships nationwide within the next five years, becoming a model that other arts nonprofits look to for inspiration. Chad has an incredible platform, and with the passion and talent already driving this organization, I can't wait to see how many kids' lives we're able to impact and transform through this work.
Who are some of your biggest musical influences, and why?
On the drumming side, it's John Bonham, Jimmy Chamberlin, Matt Cameron, Brad Wilk, Carter Beauford, Stewart Copeland, Dave Weckl, just to name a few…oh, and this other powerhouse Chad Smith you may have heard of. I'm particularly drawn to drummers who play with power and precision, but also bring swing, finesse, and dynamics alongside force. What matters most is the musicality and human feel of their playing within the context of the song. You can instantly recognize them, their personality coming through in every beat.
Ward's story is a powerful reminder of what music can spark, and what access can provide. With leaders like Ward helping guide the Chad Smith Foundation, we are building more than programs — we are creating pathways for the next generation to discover their passion, their voice, and their future through music.