Elahe started her career in Oil and Gas industry by joining Schlumberger as scientist on 1990 in Houston/TX. Later, she switched to the Aerospace industry and worked as an analyst for NASA contractors. She has had the opportunity to work on exciting programs such as the Space Station and Lunch System. In 1998 she moved to Southern California and continue working in Aerospace as a system and data analyst at Boeing and Raytheon. While working for aerospace companies she moved into management and held positions such as Technical Manager, Project/Program Managers. In 2013 she started working as a consultant and worked with a range of companies from high tech start-ups to major corporates. She provided services such as Project/Program/Portfolio management, Project Management Office, best practices, process set up and management. At her current contract, she is supporting Portfolio/Program Management for Johnson & Johnson Medical Devices in Irvine.
Elahe has hold a PhD degree in Geomatics from Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY. She has always been an active member of the community and volunteering at various NGOs. She has been active as volunteer and for the past two years as the coordinator of IAW Mentorship Program.

Kimya Rezaei has been a consultant for the past eleven years with Resources Global Professionals (RGP), an international consulting company, in the Accounting and Finance division. Prior to becoming a consultant, she was a controller at numerous companies. She has 27 years of experience of accounting and finance in healthcare, manufacturing, and service sectors. She graduated from Chapman University majoring in Accounting and worked for Helsely, Mulcahy & Fesler, CPA in the city of Tustin, California. Mrs. Rezaei has been an active member of Iranian American Women Foundation and is currently a member of IAWF’s Board of Directors.

Laya Khadjavi, a seasoned finance executive, is a Fellow with Harvard University’s Advanced Leadership Initiative program. Prior to Harvard, Laya was Head of Strategic Partnerships and Client Relations and a member of the Executive Team at Menai Financial Group, a digital asset investment management firm. She is a non-executive board member of GoldenTree ABS Management LLC since 2017. From 2012 to 2016, Laya was COO, Head of Strategy and Business Development at ICE Canyon, a global investment management firm specializing in Emerging Markets. Prior to ICE Canyon, Laya was Managing Director at Morgan Stanley where, during her 23-year tenure, she held a succession of senior management positions within Institutional Securities and Global Wealth Management divisions.

Laya is a member of Brown’s President’s Leadership Council and the University’s Center for Middle East Studies’ Advisory Council. Laya is Co-Chair Emerita of Brown’s Women’s Leadership Council. In addition, she serves on the Board of Trustees of the Institute of International Education (IIE), on the Advisory Board of the Iranian American Women Foundation and is a member of the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Ancient Near East Department’s Visiting Committee. In 2008, Laya received The Ellis Island Medal of Honor Award.

Laya holds a BS in Applied Mathematics-Economics from Brown University, where she also completed the requirements for a BA in French Literature. She received her MBA from Columbia University.

Halé Behzadi is the North America Head of Private Banking for Citi Global Wealth and a member of the Private Banking Global Leadership Team. Halé has more than three decades of experience working with ultra-high net worth families and their closely held business and philanthropic ventures and leads the Private Banking activities in 25 offices across the United States and Canada. Most recently, Halé was the Global Market Manager of the Western Region at Citi Private Bank and directly responsible for leading the ultra-high net worth private banking practices in seven offices in California, Arizona and Washington. Halé co-chairs Citi’s California Leadership Council and is the Executive Sponsor of Citi’s North America Diversity Committee. Previously, Halé chaired the Mentoring Committee at Citi Private Bank and served as the Business Sponsor of Citi’s Pride Network for Southern California and the Women’s Network for Northern California. Prior to joining Citigroup and establishing the Private Bank office in Beverly Hills in 2002, Halé enjoyed a long and distinguished career with Bank of America, where she was a Senior Vice President directing a team of private banking professionals in Beverly Hills. Halé holds a BA in Economics from Georgetown University, where she is an active member of the Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace and Security. Throughout her career she has played an active role in numerous civic and charitable organizations that provide social services, education and health care in the local community. Currently, Halé serves on the Board of Trustees for Viewpoint School as a member of the Executive Committee, in addition to chairing the Advancement Committee. She has previously held a number of leadership roles including Vice Chair and Chair of Committee on Trustees where she was focused on recruiting more diverse board members, especially women. She is also a member of the Executive Committee and Board of Governors of the Los Angeles Economic Development Corporation. Halé was recently recognized as a Deborah Award recipient by the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) for her leadership and civic contributions exemplifying the qualities and ideals of ADL. She holds Series 7, 24, 63 and 65 FINRA licenses. 

Dr. Shahrzad Nooravi is a business psychologist, Master Certified Coach (MCC) and Founder and CEO of Strategy Meets Performance, a business consulting firm that partners with leaders of mid-sized to Fortune 500 organizations to help them create engaging, innovative, and productive cultures. Dr. Nooravi has been named “Trailblazer of the Year,” “Citizen of the Year,” and “A Voice to Listen to” for driving positive change in her community. Her leadership book, "A Powerful Culture Starts with You" was rated as the #1 New Release in Workplace Culture and Best Seller in Business Coaching.

Jeyran Ghara is a financial advisor supporting high-net worth individuals, families and private foundations with their investment strategies. She works very closely with her clients and their professional advisors to help define, plan for and implement an investment strategy that is designed to meet their financial goals and objectives. Jeyran leverages financial planning tools and stress tests various investment strategies to help empower her clients to make educated decisions. She further recognizes the intimate nature of her relationships and the importance of earning and keeping one’s trust. Jeyran came to UBS from Bernstein Wealth Management where for eight years she honed her skills to leverage investment research, management and financial planning to deliver to her clients an integrated approach to wealth management. Prior to Bernstein, Jeyran was a founding partner of a NY based investor relations and communications firm where she spent 15 years advising C-Suite executives of such leading institutions as American Express, SONY, Knowledge Universe, Newcourt Credit Group and the Military Academy at West Point. A resident of NYC, Jeyran considers herself NY TOUGH!

Dr. Rahi Sarbaziha is a double board-certified Integrative Aesthetics Doctor based in Beverly Hills, CA. Internationally recognized for her unique holistic and integrative approach to Cosmetic Rejuvenation and Inner Health, Dr. Rahi caters to her patients’ specific needs to help them achieve long-lasting results. With the combination of functional medicine and aesthetics, Dr. Rahi helps patients reach optimal physical beauty and health from the inside out. With A-list celebrity clientele and a waitlist for new patients, Dr. Rahi is carving out a new lane for wellness by taking a 360-degree approach that goes beyond medicine and cosmetic treatments.

Dr. Rahi has been invited to speak around the country and most recently presented at The Aesthetic Show and AMWC. She is frequently sought after by the media for her medical knowledge and has been featured in top publications including The Los Angeles Times, Harper’s Bazaar, Elle, Women’s Health, and more!

Azadeh Azi Varjan is a Relationship Manager at California Bank & Trust in Monarch Beach.

I was born and raised in Iran, Tehran. I got my BA in business management and started working as a payroll auditor at Social Security services in age of 25 in Tehran. I was managing the Shemiran Branch when I moved to US in 2001. I’ve been working in finance since 2002 at my family ‘s real estate office and started my banking career in 2009 at US Bank as a new account banker. I worked all area of banking department like sales & operations, management, coaching and leadership, private banking and wealth management. I could achieve my Emerging Leadership certificate in 2015, Series 6 and 63 since 2017, and California Life and Health Insurance in 2019 during that time. As a relationship manager at CB&T since 2020, I’m managing affluent, commercial and business owner’s banking relationship which is include their lending, cash flow and wealth management. I studied commercial lending and achieved gold champion which is highest lending authority to override my applications. I’m seriously involved with some non-profit organizations as a member or volunteer like the Iranian American Women Foundation, CHILD International, Networking Iranian Professional of Orange County, and Farhang Foundation. My hobbies are enjoying nature, hiking, golfing, and reading books and articles related to psychology.

Dr. Mitra Mogharabi Ardehali is a practicing dentist, educator, and philanthropist with a deep commitment to advancing women's causes. She earned her Doctor of Dental Surgery from UCLA  where she also pursued her undergraduate studies in Microbiology. With over three decades of dedicated service, Dr. Mogharabi has been a faculty member at UCLA School of Dentistry, where she has taught both clinical and didactic sections of dental medicine. Her expertise extends to licensure examinations for out-of-state and foreign graduate dentists, reflecting her passion for dental education. Additionally, she has moderated and led panels for aspiring and current dental students, as well as fellow faculty members.

Currently, Dr. Mogharabi serves as the Vice Chair of the Board of Counselors at UCLA School of Dentistry. From 2014 to 2019, she was the Chair of the West Coast Parent Council at Barnard College, Columbia University, a role she took on while her daughters attended the college. In 2017, she also chaired the Barnard Gala in Los Angeles, significantly contributing to the support of women in STEM.

In her community, Dr. Mogharabi has been an active Board member of the Brentwood Park Property Owners Association since 2014. She resides in Brentwood with her husband, Dr. Abbas Ardehali, and their two daughters.

Alireza Seddighi is a dedicated Iranian-American scholar and entrepreneur, leading advancements in artificial intelligence and software engineering. As the Founder of NeoVision and Co-Founder of Advira, she has shown a strong commitment to innovation and excellence in technology and education.

With a Ph.D. in Software Engineering and over eight years of experience as a university lecturer, Alireza has been pivotal in shaping the academic landscape. Her work as a curriculum developer has equipped countless students for successful careers in the tech industry. Her dedication to education is further evidenced by numerous awards and recognitions, including the Eric Dybsand AI Award.

Alireza's technical expertise spans advanced AI methodologies, data science, game development, and edge computing. She is proficient in various programming and scripting languages and has a deep understanding of cloud AI platforms. Her innovative approach to integrating AI into game development has led to the creation of intelligent, adaptive gaming experiences that push the boundaries of technology and creativity.

Throughout her career, Alireza has mentored numerous students, helping them learn the latest trends and techniques in AI, video game development, and computer software engineering. Her guidance has empowered many aspiring technologists to achieve their goals and make significant contributions to the industry.

As an EB-1 EAD holder, Alireza's contributions to artificial intelligence have been recognized at the highest levels. Her role as a keynote speaker and reviewer for esteemed journals and conferences highlights her influence and thought leadership within academic and professional communities.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/alsedd/