The Iranian Gala @Harvard is a black-tie evening that honors leading community members in various fields. Founded by a group of Harvard students of Persian heritage, the Gala strives to bring together leading professionals, artists, and academics who have dedicated themselves to furthering the study, understanding, and appreciation of Iranian culture, history, and society. The vision of the Gala is to mobilize and empower the next generation of leaders in the Iranian community.
The Iranian Gala @Harvard is presented by Harvard College Iranian Association (HCIA) in partnership with Harvard alumni, faculty, and affiliates.
The Iranian Gala @Harvard is presented by Harvard College Iranian Association (HCIA) in partnership with Harvard alumni, faculty, and affiliates.
2018 Speakers
Sharmin and Bijan Mossavar-Rahmani
Keynote Address Mr. and Mrs. Mossavar-Rahmani are generous philanthropists dedicated to various Iranian causes. Sharmin is the Chief Investment Officer of Goldman Sachs Private Wealth Management and Bijan is the Executive Chairman of DNO ASA. |
Maz Jobrani
Headline Address Mr. Jobrani is currently starring in the CBS comedy Superior Donuts. He also recently recorded the Netflix special Immigrant at the Kennedy Center and has also filmed three solo Showtime specials. In 2016, he was a special performer at the White House and had the honor of introducing First Lady Michelle Obama. |
2018 Honorees
Najmieh Batmanglij
Acclaimed Author and Chef Ms. Batmanglij is an internationally acclaimed author and chef. She has cooked at the White House for the Nowruz celebration under the patronage of Mrs. Michelle Obama and has written the world's foremost English-language Persian cookbooks. |
Mina Bissell, PhD
Distinguished Scientist, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory Dr. Bissell is one of the world's most highly-acclaimed cancer researches. Having received her undergraduate education from Harvard College/Radcliffe and PhD from Harvard Medical School, she has since been based at UC Berkeley. In 2012 she gave a TED talk on her work. |
Ali Partovi
CEO, Neo | Co-Founder, Code.org Mr. Partovi (Harvard '94) is a prominent Silicon Valley investor, entrepreneur, and philanthropist. Having backed airbnb, Dropbox, Facebook, and Uber, he now runs Neo, a community and VC fund for awesome engineers. |
.Mehdi Zarghamee, PhD
Former Chancellor, Arya Mehr University Dr. Zarghamee is a former Professor of Mathematics and Computer Science Arya-Mehr University where he served as Chancellor from 1975-1977. He also directed the building and planning of the innovative University of Esfahan (now Esfahan University of Technology). |
2018 Musical Performer
Tara Kamangar Classical Pianist Ms. Kamangar is an internationally-renowned pianist. Having performed around the world for capacity audiences, her music has reached the top of Billboard's classical charts. She is an honors graduate of Harvard College. |
