June Newsletter II

June 2016 Newsletter

Issue II

Successful Launch of IAWF Blog

On June 15th, IAWF successfully launched its new blog, UpCloseVaPersonal, on Facebook and Twitter! As Iranian-American women, we share an undeniable bond and this space allows us to engage with and learn about each other as we grow and succeed. Journalist and author Davar Ardalan led the discussion, as she encouraged other Iranian-American women to share their stories. She also hosted the digital launch, where over 500 people joined her for a live discussion with Lily Sarafan. During the conversation on Twitter, there were 261 posts, 47 active users, 270,000 people reached and 781,000 impressions. All summer, through weekly interviews, we will highlight our challenges, and celebrate the successes of our community. Join us for another live discussion next month as we continue to explore our passions, purpose, and power online. Check out our weekly posts, including features on geneticist Pardis Sabeti, banker Roshan Ardalan Alavi, and actress Nazanian Boniadi and follow our blog for more inspirational stories here.

Achievement Spotlight: Davar Ardalan

Iran Davar Ardalan is Director of Storytelling & Engagement at SecondMuse. Ardalan leads systems storytelling around citizen science, ocean health, materials innovation and big data. As a veteran journalist and former social media strategist at NPR News, Ardalan's real-time campaigns garnered millions of impressions on Twitter across the globe. Most recently, she was the Senior Producer and Social Media Strategist for NPR's Identity and Culture Unit, traveling across the country producing live events and moderating Twitter chats on some of the most critical issues of the day including community and policing, voting rights, education, and immigration. In May 2014, she was the recipient of an Ellis Island Medal of Honor, for individual achievement and for promoting cultural unity. She was also essential to the success of the launch of our blog, as she encouraged Iranian-American women to share their voice on social media. Visit Davar's profile here.

Chapter Member Spotlights


Afsaneh Djabbari-Aslani New York Afsaneh Djabbari-Aslani attended USC's Roski School of Fine Arts, at the onset of the Iranian revolution. The upheaval in her native country culminating with the US embassy hostage crisis dramatically transformed her world, with great influence on her artistic work. She moved to New York City in 1983 after earning her BFA, and attempted to survive as an artist. After struggling for a while, she started working at the United Nations Development Programme in the Public Affairs Division. Her experience at the UNDP taught her more about the plight of third world countries and their socio-economic issues. Her painting, "Working towards a brighter world" was published as a Holiday Card and sent out worldwide in 1989. She continues to paint and is now a volunteer and art teacher in her community in Connecticut. Visit Afsaneh's IAWF profile here.	Ariana Bundy Northern California Ariana Bundy grew up in New York and London and trained as a chef in Paris, but her roots are firmly planted in Persian soil. She was the Head Pastry Chef for the Mondrian Hotel in Los Angeles and graduate of Le Cordon Bleu and Le Notre in Paris, and trained at Fauchon Patisserie. Her book 'Pomegranates & Roses: My Persian Family Recipes' (Simon & Schuster UK) won an award at the Gourmand Cookbook Awards in 2012 and was shortlisted for the Best Cookery Book at the UK Writer's Guild Awards in 2013. She is also the author of 'Sweet Alternative' (Conran-Octopus UK) , the first gluten, dairy and soy free dessert cookbook. Ariana has appeared on TV shows such as the BBC's Good Food Live, Sky's Taste, Euronews, FOX, and Channel 4's Brunch. She is working on a cookbook 'Ariana's Persian Kitchen' to accompany the TV series. Visit Ariana's IAWF profile here.	Maryam Famourzadeh Southern California Maryam Famourzadeh is the Managing Director of Double Helix M&A advisory firm based in San Diego. Prior to Double Helix M&A, she was the Vice President of Business Development at SalextBio, a life sciences strategy and business development advisory firm. Maryam was the Team Leader and Senior Director of Pharmaceutical Sales at CeeTox Inc. where she structured the sales team and negotiated many sales, collaborations and alliances. She is the founder of Megagenex Biosciences and is the founder of IALSN, a nonprofit life science company, where she served as CEO from 2006-2015. With over 20 years of experience, Maryam has held various positions at Nuesoft Technologies, University of California San Diego (UCSD), Avanir Pharmaceuticals, and Megagenex. Visit Maryam's IAWF profile here.

Circle of 100 Featured Member: Bita Milanian

The Cir cle of 100 is a group of members who form the backbone of the IAWF. These are w ome n who are motivated to serve the higher destiny of Iranian-American women and are catalysts for the continuity and ingenuity of the organization. One of the group's members, Bita Milanian, has held senior executive roles in diverse industries, having worked at various start-ups, Fortune 500, and multinational corporations within the telecommunications, consumer electronics, construction development and real estate industries for nearly two decades. She is currently the Senior Vice President of Global Marketing at GENBAND & Kandy, a leading developer of real time multimedia, cloud and software communications solutions, operating in more than 80 countries. Prior to joining GENBAND, she served as the Executive Director of Farhang Foundation and she is also the founder of Butterfly Buzz. Visit Bita's profile here.

IAWF Members Gather in New Jersey

As part of the New York IAWFoundation chapter's mission to expand its network, an informal meet-up was held in Montclair, New Jersey, a NYC area suburb, on June 1st at DeNovo Restaurant. The gathering was hosted by NYC chapter members Mrs. Nahid Akhami and Maria Afsharian as an opportunity to meet and connect with other professional women of Iranian heritage from the area.

With no formal agenda, IAWF's history, conference, membership levels, mission, and goals were discussed. Many ideas were brought up about programs, fundraising, mentoring, etc. At the close of the evening, attendees were given individual potted flowers to symbolize life and the ability to bloom.

Based on the success of this gathering, with the guidance of IAWFoundation, a monthly meet-up is being discussed for the Northern New Jersey area, to meet on the first of each month. If anyone is interested in attending please contact [email protected] for the location and times.