YEREVAN — The Afeyan Philanthropies, an organization building and advancing solutions for a better world, on September 5 announced the launch of Afeyan Initiatives for Armenia (AIFA), an initiative dedicated to building a more vibrant, resilient and prosperous Armenia. AIFA leverages more than two decades of philanthropic efforts in Armenia by the Afeyan family and serves as the strategic and operational hub for its current and future development initiatives in Armenia. Talar Kazanjian has been appointed its executive director.
Kazanjian joins David Tadevosyan, director of operations for AIFA, who has been working for the past several months to establish the organization in Armenia.
“For more than two decades, we have been dedicated to building a resilient and prosperous future for Armenia: one that champions innovation, fosters inclusivity, and prioritizes the well-being of all its citizens,” said Noubar and Anna Afeyan, Trustees of the Afeyan Philanthropies. “Through AIFA, we aim to strengthen our existing work, implement new programs and forge partnerships and collaborations that scale impact. By harnessing the collective expertise and resources of diverse stakeholders, we seek to drive positive change across wide ranging sectors in Armenia, including health, science and technology, and the arts.”
The Afeyans continued: “Talar’s impressive career has been characterized by deep expertise and impact, leading numerous development and philanthropic efforts in Armenia and globally. We look forward to the impact Talar will have in accelerating AIFA’s efforts to address Armenia’s economic and societal needs on a scaled basis by leveraging and working with other organizations with similar goals.”
Kazanjian brings a wealth of organizational leadership to AIFA. Most recently, she helped draft Armenia’s first science, technology and innovation strategy, advising the Executive Committee chair of the Prime Minister’s Science and Technology Development Advisory Council.
Previously, she was chief operating officer of Armenia 2041, where she oversaw the launch of the Future Armenian initiative. She continues to serve as a member of the Guardians Council for Future Armenian, a position she has held since 2022.
