March 2022 | Issue I
Upcoming Events
Friday, April 1
New York, NY

Wednesday, April 27
San Francisco, CA

Thursday, May 5
Los Angeles, CA
Did You Know?
IAWF will open up the Amin Arasteh Foundation Scholarship Fund from April 1 - 30. Students who have previously received an AAF or IAWF scholarship can apply for this award, as well as other students in financial need. Visit our website to learn more and submit your application before the deadline ends.
Iranian American Women's Day Celebration in San Francisco
April 27th has been recognized as Iranian American Women's Day by 17 California state officials and 13 cities in the state. To commemorate this year's IAW Day, the iconic Salesforce Tower in San Francisco will feature a unique light show celebrating Iranian American women. IAWF's NorCal Chapter invites you to mingle with our members while we watch the show from a prime viewing location. Join us on Wednesday, April 27 at The View Lounge on the 39th floor of the San Francisco Marriott Marquis at 7 PM. We can't wait to share this honor with our community members and celebrate our day! RSVP here.
IAWF Hosts Women's Leadership Conference
IAW Foundation returned to Orange County for our first in-person event after over two years. We hosted our signature Women's Leadership Conference on Sunday, March 6th in Newport Beach, CA. We had over 400 people join us from around the country to celebrate not only International Women's Day, but also the 10th anniversary since our founding. Shally Zomorodi was the master of ceremonies of a day full of fascinating panel discussions, exhilarating musical performances, and moments of inspiration. We also had a variety of vendors and exhibitors who shared their products and services with our members, as well as a unique fashion show.
We are so thankful to each and every person who dedicated their time and efforts to making sure this event was a success. These events would not be possible without the participation of our incredible speakers, gracious volunteers, and dedicated committee members. Thank you to everyone who was a part of this day of celebration, and we couldn't think of a better way to mark a decade of inspiring, empowering, and connecting our community.
LA Rising Leaders Chapter Presents
Q&A Reception with Leila Nazarian
IAWF's Los Angeles Rising Leaders Chapter invites you to be a part of its first event on the year! Join us on Thursday, May 5 at 6:30 PM at Skylight Gardens for a Q&A with Leila Nazarian, founder of Eclectic Decks. The session will be followed by cocktails and hors d'oeuvres, as well as a variety of raffle prizes. Early bird tickets are $20 and prices will increase to $30 after April 20th. Learn more and purchase your tickets here. Please note that the ticket price includes hors d'oeuvres and a cocktail. We can't wait to hear from Leila, and we look forward to seeing you there!
Emcee Highlight: Shally Zomorodi
We are so grateful to have been joined by the incomparable Shally Zomorodi at our Women's Leadership Conference. FOX 5 San Diego Morning News Anchor Shally Zomorodi has been waking up San Diego for more than a decade. A dedicated journalist, Zomorodi launched her news career as an assistant for KTTV FOX 11 in Los Angeles. Quickly advancing into an on-air reporting position in Beaumont, Texas, Zomorodi, with her winning smile and refined reporting skills, woke the Southwest residents of the Lone Star state to breaking local and national news.
Shally's embracing personality and dedicated reporting returned her to the Southland and family she loves dearly in Orange County. She reported for LA City View in Los Angeles and then became the anchor of DAYBREAK OC, a two hour live morning show broadcasting from the heart of Orange County for all of Southern California. Versed in international broadcasting as the reporter for Voice of America, and fluent in Farsi, Shally now brings her global skills, diversity, and Southland knowledge to FOX 5. Shally credits her success in broadcasting to pageants. Shally won the title of Mrs. California Globe and was 3rd runner up to Mrs. US GLOBE. She also held the titles of Miss Orange County Teen USA and Miss Orange County USA. It was during her competition at MISS CALIFORNIA USA that Shally won an award in journalism. She left law school to pursue her dream to work in broadcasting and says she is working her dream job every day because of pageants. Shally recently started her Podcast, It is what it is with SHALLZ, talking all things life. Shally also just wrote and published her first children’s book, ‘Myla. Caterpillars become Butterflies,’ addressing bullying. Her new cooking show Bereez-O-Bepaz will air on Voice of America this Spring.
You can read more about Shally here. We are thankful for Shally's time and support as the Master of Ceremonies at our conference, and we can't wait to see what else she has planned for the future!
Women's Leadership Conference Sponsors
Women's Leadership Conference In-Kind Donors