SOAR - Los Angeles Chapter
SOAR-LA became part of the SOAR family in October 2007. The highest concentration of Americans of Armenian descent live in the Greater Los Angeles area, where approximately 175,000 Armenians reside. Glendale, a suburb of Los Angeles, is widely known as the center of Armenian American life.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS:
Artem Tiliev
President
Artem Tiliev is a real estate expert specializing in residential and commercial properties including probate, trust and foreclosure sales.
Prior to joining the real estate sector, Artem held a number of executive positions in the San Francisco Area. In 2013 he launched a design and manufacturing company specializing in eco-friendly office and residential furniture. Clients included are Sales Force, Merck, SmartNews, JDV Boutique Hotels etc.
Artem holds a Bachelor degree in Philology and History from Pyatigorsk State University in Russia.
Mary Kozanian
Public Relations Director
Mary Kozanian is a Glendale native who graduated with a B.A. in Communication and Public Relations from California State University Los Angeles in 2014. She went on to manage the family business and dedicated her time to building the business portfolio in the food & beverage industry. She has spent the last five years focused on expanding distribution and creating manufacturing opportunities for food products made in Armenia. Outside of work, her passions are theatre, giving back to her community and dinners with friends.
Ani Mirijan
Social Media Director
Ani Mirijan graduated from California State University from Fresno in 2015 with a Bachelor’s degree in Family Consumer Science and a Master’s degree in Human Resource Management
from National University. She has been working in education for the past 10 years in private and public school settings teaching elementary through high school students. Her passion is working with students and families by supporting them academically, emotionally, and helping them strive for success. By contributing to SOARLA she hopes to promote more awareness and love for this organization, support the children to give them a better life, and proudly represent the Armenian community.
Zareh Hairapetian
Zareh is currently a software investor based out of Miami. He recently moved to the sunshine state from San Francisco where he spent two years as an investment banker at Moelis & Company focusing on technology companies. Zareh graduated with a B.S. in Nano Engineering from UC San Diego. Zareh spends his free time playing chess, going for runs in the city, reading stoic philosophy, and connecting with friends and family back in California.
Dr. Olga Kozanian
Dr. Kozanian is a Los Angeles, CA native who graduated with her Bachelor’s degree in Psychology in 2008 and Master’s degree in Neuropharmacology in 2011. She then obtained her PhD from UC Riverside in Systems Neuroscience and completed her Postdoctoral fellowship at the world-renowned Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla, CA. Dr. Kozanian is a published neuroscientist and faculty member teaching Psychology and Neuroscience courses at various California State University campuses. She currently works in pharmaceutical scientific communications in Los Angeles and is passionate about serving her community. Aside from nerding out, Dr. Kozanian is sailing certified, an avid cycler and enjoys cooking.
Talin Shadmany
Talin was born in Tehran, Iran. She grew up in a family where supporting Armenia and Armenians were always a top priority, either through charity events, churches or even directly with families in need.
Talin moved to LA in 2007 and graduated from California State University in 2014 with a Bachelor’s in Aviation and Finance. She is currently working on her MBA and CFP. She has a real estate license with a little background in the field. Talin has been in banking and investment since 2010. Currently she is a Financial Advisor at Merrill Lynch.
Talin is a UNICEF advocate and has always been passionate about helping children all around the world and she believes every child matters. She has strong feelings for Armenians and her country, and believes we are all responsible for our country and that the Armenian children are the future of Armenia.
Talin is so happy to be a part of SOAR’s efforts to support orphaned children around the world. Due to circumstances beyond their control, these children are left without any parents or support. Our efforts, both financial and emotional, give these innocent children a better chance at a higher quality of life.