Imagine Armenia Boston Conference Offers Ways to Get Involved in Armenia

A first group of panelists on business, education, social initiatives and professional repatriation was invited to take the stage. Each panelist is actively involved in Armenia with various organizations. Avetik Chalabyan served as moderator, asking questions to kindle the discussion about their work.

He started with those involved in social programs. Raffi Dudaklian, executive director of the Tufenkian Foundation, talked about the civil empowerment that his foundation works toward. Human rights lawyer Ani Sarkissian of ONEArmenia spoke about her organization’s work to raise the standard of living in Armenia by implementing projects in various economic sectors, and working with various established organizations as well as by fundraising. Jeanmarie Papelian, executive director of the Armenian Tree Project stated that her organization uses trees to help improve the standard of living of people in Armenia. Zack Armen of the Children of Armenia Fund stated that his organization takes a holistic approach in helping children, including infrastructure improvement. In addition to donor funds, people lend their time and creativity to the work.

Raffi Kassarjian, who in addition to his role with RepatArmenia, is executive director and general manager of Monitis, an Armenia-based technology firm, and Magda Markosyan of MAROG Creative Agency spoke on their business initiatives. Kassarjian declared that being an economic catalyst was a very helpful role for Armenia. Often successful businesses in Armenia lead to repatriation.

Markosyan said that as pioneers, she and her partner had to train Armenians and so created the International School of Marketing. It is an expanding field in Armenia, with international companies also looking for assistance in marketing their products and services.

Finally, Aleksander Khachaturyan, advisor to the Armenian prime minister on legal and commercial business matters and Executive Director of the Center for Strategic Initiatives, spoke about how the government is involved in entrepreneurship. He used to be a managing partner in a law firm before taking on his current position. Khachaturyan and his center are working on 27 projects in fields ranging from agriculture to high tech strategy. He stressed the importance of hands-on execution of projects in Armenia as opposed to long-distance involvement.

The audience then directed questions to the panelists.

The final panel of the afternoon, called “Because You Can,” was composed primarily of young professionals who shared their experiences of working in Armenia. Marashlyan served as moderator. The speakers included Linda Yepoyan, Executive Director of Birthright Armenia and a board member of the Armenian Volunteer Corps, Tatev Babayan, public relations manager of Repat Armenia, who used to live in Boston, Teny Avakian, the Chief Program Officer for Teach for Armenia Educational Foundation, who was originally from Lexington, Mass., and Arina Zohrabian, also originally from Lexington, and now the Director of Admissions of the American University of Armenia (AUA). In addition, recent college graduate Terez Sarkisyan of the research thinktank DEPOP Institute for Governance and a Birthright Armenia volunteer; Araz Chiloyan, a volunteer for Birthright at the Homeland Development Initiative Foundation and the Armenian Youth Federation Western Region Youth Corps Program, who used to live in Watertown, Mass. and will continue her studies at AUA; and recent college graduate Aimee Keushguerian, who moved to Armenia in 2016 to work for a winery-consulting firm Semina Consulting and manages a new wine company, Keush Wines, were panelists.  After introducing themselves, the speakers fielded questions from the audience.

A similar event, though on a smaller scale, was held in New York on May 22 at the headquarters of the Armenian General Benevolent Union, for which the Tekeyan Cultural Association of Greater New York and the Children of Armenia Fund served as promotional partners.