Shirin Conversations

On today’s episode, I am joined by Yeganeh Mafaher. Yeganeh is a 24-year-old activist born in Iran. Her career has taken off in multiple areas- comedy, life coach, and content creator. Recently she has received recognition for leading the conversation on Tiktok about daily Iran updates and what we can do to continue supporting Iranians in Iran. However, this isn’t new to her… she has always used her platform to educate others about Iran and the truth we often do not see.⁣

On today’s episode, I am joined by Mandy Ansari, a marketing executive, influencer, mental health advocate, and immigrant obsessed with the internet’s ability to make the world smaller and more connected. She is passionate about helping people feel less alone by creating a safe space and community online. Her blog girlandthe.com has over 500K readers a month, and her account has reached around 10.7M people in the last month. ⁣⁣Mandy is a founding member of the Iranian Diaspora Collective. Thi...

On today's episode, I am joined by Goldie Ghamari - the first Iranian Canadian politician to be elected in Canada. She’s been in office since 2018 and has always made sure she connects with her audience (not just online). As a politician, she knows the need to be in touch with her community, and as a millennial, she knows the best way is through social media. At the start of COVID, she started her TikTok account and has since dedicated much of her time to educating others about the lack of fu...

On today’s episode, I am joined by Donya Bouzarjomehri. Donya is currently a strategy director living in Paris, France, after spending 5+ years in NYC working in advertising. Donya promised herself after studying abroad in Paris that she would one day return not as a student but to start her career. Then in 2016, as she was advancing in her career, she decided to honor that promise even if that meant quitting her job, moving to a new country, and figuring it out day by day… she calls her jour...

On today’s episode, I am joined by Rhoda Rahaii. A seasoned tech executive with a strategic vision to take businesses to the next level. She is Mary Poppins for the corporate world, and she even comes equipped with a tool-belt filled with what every company needs to succeed. Her experience includes executive compensation, talent and performance management, executive coaching, expansion strategies, and more. Working for companies like Oliver Wyman, Mercer, Postmates, Compass, and most recently...

On today's episode, I am joined by Layla Sabourian. A seasoned entrepreneur with over 20 years of experience in product management, partner marketing, digital media, and community development, working for top companies like LVMH, Oracle, eBay, and Yahoo. She is currently the founder and CEO of Chef Koochooloo, an educational software platform that encourages interdisciplinary, intercultural learning for children through cooking lessons. She is also a published children’s book author writing b...

On today's episode, I am joined by Azin Valy- the co-founder of the award-winning multi-disciplinary Architecture firm, I-beam Design, based in New York, and the founder of Cityzen by Azin, a luxury brand that merges fashion with social impact. Her fashion brand transforms aerial views of cities into wearable art, and the mission is to promote global dialogue and diplomacy by transcending physical and mental borders with her pieces. Her brand has been worn by celebrities and public figures li...

On today's episode, I am joined by Sorina Vaziri - A multi-disciplinary artist, professional designer, and the founder of Teapot (@teapot.la), a nonprofit in Mid-City Los Angeles fostering a lifestyle of creation in paradise. Teapot was inspired by Sorina's grandparents' tea garden in Iran, where she spent summers as a child. Sorina's mission is to share art, culture, and beautiful stories through gardening projects in hopes to inspire, create memories and grow the community along the way.⁣

On today's episode, I am joined by Nini Ordoubadi - an educator by nature, an artist at heart, and a third-generation tea enthusiast who founded Tay Tea in 2003 in NYC before relocating her shop and home base to the Catskills. Nini has created over 22 beautiful blends of exotic loose leaf teas. She intends to teach people the art of slowing down by sharing the history, stories, and of course, the hospitality of our culture over a cup of tea prescribed specifically for what you need at that mo...

On today's episode, I am joined by my mother and Shirin's daughter - Marjan Peyrovan. Marjan has been a well-respected travel agent and business owner for over 25 years here in Orange County. She is the President and Founder of Passport 2 Travel, but today she's just Shirin's daughter - sharing with us some memories of her mother, my grandmother, and the show's namesake.