July 2020 | Issue I

Upcoming Events Stay safe & healthy! Did You Know?  According to UN Women , women refugees have been on the front lines of the pandemic, and know the specific needs of their community better than anyone else. From sharing information on how to prevent the virus spread in Bangladesh to sewing protective face masks in Kenya, women refugees have stepped up to protect their communities and they cannot afford to be invisible in recovery plans. Read their stories here . IAWF Hosts Discussion About Race in the Iranian American Community Join us for this discussion on Wednesday, July 22 at 6:30 PM PST on Zoom to learn ways you can get involved to support the fight for justice and equality in all our communities.

Lily Sarafan Elected to Stanford University Board of Trustees Congratulations to our member and past speaker, Lily Sarafan, for being elected to Stanford University's Board of Trustees! Lily is  co-founder and chief executive officer of Home Care Assistance (HCA), which employs nearly 10,000 people. The company, which is headquartered in San Francisco, is the largest, private-pay provider of in-home care for seniors in North America.

IAWF's First Virtual Life Academy

IAWF’s Life Academy program equips students and young professionals with the tools, information, and networks they need to guide decision-making in their careers. Having previously hosted these trainings in Orange County, Washington, D.C., and Silicon Valley, we are excited to now offer this program to our mentees across the country. This year, our program will take place on 3 Saturdays over the course of six weeks, during which we will focus on improving communication and networking skills, as well as the importance of adaptability and flexibility in your career. We invite our active and prospective mentees to join us on August 15, August 29, and September 12 to hear from incredible speakers who will inspire you to reach new heights. Follow our social media pages for updates, and you can email contact@iawfoundation.org if you have any questions. Stay posted for further details!

Thank You to Our Circle of 1000s Members

We would like to highlight two incredible members of our Circle of 1000s! We are so grateful to call them a part of the IAWF family. You can sign up for membership here.

Shahla Sohi brings more than 25 years of experience in diverse accounting and financial management to her role as a professional accountant. Shahla became one of the first Iranian women who held the CFO position of Governmental Accounting Controller, and oversaw and trained 250 employees throughout her ten-years working at those agencies. She has experience working with the Foreign Currency Exchange Market (FOREX) in Royal Index LLC & Capital Market Solutions in Dubai. Since 2011, she has been a very active member and the accountant of IAWF. Shahla’s mission in life is to help others with the knowledge and experience she has gained. Fariba Mahjoor l eft Iran to pursue her education in the United States. She has served on the Board of Full Circle Learning for over 10 years. This educational model builds altruistic identities and develops a generation of peacemakers, imbued with virtues and free of prejudice. She also serves on the Advisory Board of the University of Maryland Baha’i Chair for World Peace, a program that aims to develop a sound scientific basis for knowledge and strategies that advance world peace. Fariba dedicates significant efforts to local community development initiatives for children, youth, and adults. Together with her husband, they support numerous causes internationally.

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