Thariq Kara

Prior to founding NU Borders, Thariq was the Lead Data Architect at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

He has run the Data Architecture arm at ICE Office of the Chief Information Officer, with oversight over all IT systems in a $400 million portfolio, and helped set up ICE’s first Data Management Office. Thariq led an effort to restructure the data architecture and data management component for ICE’s major transactional systems and was the primary author of ICE’s Reference Data Architecture Guideline.

Additionally, Thariq architected and managed ICE’s first Big Data storage and analytical system, that had the Hadoop File System (HDFS) at its core. The system supported ICE’s Homeland Security Investigations, National Security Investigations Division, and was integral to assisting HSI with WMD-related cases. He has held the position of Program Manager within ICE OCIO, for programs and projects that have covered data warehousing, search, analysis, visualization and data management.

Thariq received a Master’s in Engineering Management from Duke University in 2008 and a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the Florida Institute of Technology in 2007. He has won the ICE Director’s Award as well the DHS S&T Under Secretary’s Award.