Armenian American Forum 2025
Objective:
This event aims to;
- Foster connections and collaborations across established Armenian American organizations and individuals.
- Enhance the visibility and impact of the forum participants’ programs and activities.
- Identify and discuss community issues and capability gaps.
- Support nascent projects and organizations.
Location & Date:
March 7-9, 2025.
Gruhn Guitars at 2120 8th Av S, Nashville, TN 37204.
Main Public Library of Nashville located at 615 Church Street, Nashville, TN 37219.
Gruhn Guitars
Main Library of Nashville
Our Master of Ceremony:
Sona Movsesian
UPDATE: Sona unfortunately cannot join us this year at the forum. Her house burned down in the recent LA fires and she is still dealing with it. Here she addresses the Armenian American Forum https://www.instagram.com/p/DGv_2WfSQFk/
Sona has participated in initiatives that support Armenia and Armenians globally, emphasizing cultural preservation and humanitarian efforts. Alongside her professional achievements, Sona is a dedicated wife and mother, balancing her career with raising her twin sons.
Keynote Speakers:
Garo Armen
Garo Armen is the Chairman and CEO of Agenus, a pioneering biotech company advancing cancer treatment. He is founder of the Children of Armenia Fund (COAF), an organization dedicated to revitalizing rural Armenia by building modern schools, healthcare facilities, and community programs, significantly enhancing the quality of life and opportunities for local children and families.
Emma Arakelyan
Emma Arakelyan is a global management consulting executive, entrepreneur, author, and philanthropist. She is a former Partner at EY and Managing Director at Accenture. Emma founded Orion Worldwide Innovations and co-founded BAJ Accelerator, empowering Armenian entrepreneurs with IP management, funding, and growth resources for global success.
Speakers:
Jeanmarie Papelian
Executive Director of Armenia Tree Project since 2015, led its growth from 200,000 to 1,000,000 trees planted annually.
Nora Lessersohn
Historian of Armenian history at Georgetown University, focusing on Armenian American experiences and figures like Christopher Oscanyan.
Gev Iskajyan
National Grassroots Director of the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA), supporting Armenian American communities.
Sara Cohan
Education Coordinator at the National Association for Armenian Studies and Research (NAASR).
Linda Yepoyan
Chief of Staff for Armenia operations at the H. Hovnanian Family Foundation, overseeing initiatives aimed at fostering sustainable development in Armenia.
Mark Chenian
Investment banker at UBS, economic consultant to Republic of Armenia, founder of Komitas digital brain initiative, planning to produce an Armenian opera.
Aram Arkun
Managing editor of the Armenian Mirror-Spectator, executive director of the Tekeyan Cultural Association, and modern Armenian historian.
Berge Ayvazian
Telecom Industry expert. Co-founder of ArmTech, Board Advisor for EQWEFY, and member of Angel Investor Club of Armenia.
Mariam Khaloyan
Congressional Relations Director at the Armenian Assembly of America, where she advocates for Armenian American interests on Capitol Hill.
Charlie Apigian
Data scientist with over 25 years of experience, leading Data & AI Strategy at LBMC and serving as a professor at Belmont University in Nashville.
Charlene Apigian
Former radio host of the Heritage of Armenian Culture (HARC) program and co-author of the “Remarkable Armenians” blog.
Ani Petrosyan
Associate Attorney at Stubbs Alderton & Markiles, specializing in M&A, venture capital, and startups. Co-President of the Armenian Professional Society.
Gloria Korkoian
Former national chairwoman of the Daughters of Vartan. Retired Project Manager at AGBU, AT&T and Hughes Network Systems.
Karen Tonoyan
Founder of Tono Law Group, Board of Armenian Engineers and Scientists Association, Co-Chair of IP/IT Committee of the Armenian Bar Association.
Alena Mikhaelyan
MA in International Relations candidate at Johns Hopkins, President of the Student Gov. Assoc., and Public Service Fellow. Former international recruiter.
Stephen Haroian
Angel investor, co-founder of security focused non-profit Little Bird Armenian Development and the Association of Sales Professionals of Armenia.
Silva Katchiguian
President of the Armenian International Women’s Association, dedicated to empowering Armenian women through education, advocacy, and leadership initiatives.
Khajag Geukjian
Managing Consultant and Head of Enterprise Market Risk Management at Murex. Former President of the Lebanese Armenian Heritage Club at AUB.
Lilly Torosyan
Editor of the Armenian Weekly, spotlighting Armenian culture, history, and politics in the diaspora.
Naira Ayvazyan
Co-founder of the Hyeland Project and a real estate developer, she shares her work on her YouTube channel, Nairaville.
Seda Papoyan
Founder of FEMINNO – the largest female innovation platform in Armenia. Leads the AGBU Innovation Studios in Pasadena, Los Angeles.
Garinè B. Isassi
Communications strategist and award-winning author exploring the Armenian American experience. She is part of the International Armenian Literary Alliance (IALA).
Sevan Chorluyan
Co-founder of the Hyeland Project and Haykakan Crypto Dprots. Network-state researcher.
Topics:
The topics of the forum will be dictated by the participants that sign up for the event and designed to grow connections between the participants. The participants in each session will be asked to provide awareness of their existing efforts, learnings as a result of these efforts, and new opportunities they see. Tentative topics include;
- Best practices and showcases from various Armenian American organizations
- Areas of unmet need in the Armenian American community
- Lessons learned from past and present initiatives
- Potential areas of collaboration and partnership
- The innovative concept of the Network State
What The Forum Is Not:
The Forum is not about building consensus. Everyone will not agree with each other. We will not attempt to produce over-arching policy, this is not a congress. We are not interested in creating unity, we are interested in creating legibility and building meaningful connections.
The Armenian American Forum is also not designed to convince anyone to move to Tennessee. The Hyeland Project is hosting the forum as a way for our small community in Tennessee to feel plugged in to the larger Armenian American society. Awareness of the Hyeland Project and our new community in Tennessee is a benefit to our organization for volunteering to organize the event, but it is neither the focus nor a consequential component of the forum’s programming.
Sponsors:
Agenda & Social Events:
Participants can look forward to a dynamic agenda featuring panel discussions, keynote speeches, lectures, and break-out/round-table discussions. The forum will include interactive Q&A sessions, a vibrant tabling/marketplace and jobs fair.
Friday Evening
- Storica wine tasting at Gruhn Guitars
- History of the first Armenian American as told by Professor Nora Lessersohn
Saturday
- Key note speeches
- Short introductory speeches
- Networking
- Lunch and Dinner breaks to explore Nashville
Sunday Morning
- Short introductory speeches
- Networking
A detailed itinerary including hotel, travel, and restaurant recommendations can be found here:
Sign Up for the 2025 Forum
Click register to secure your tickets to the 2025 Armenian American Forum, space is limited.
Connect
Intellectuals, artists, entrepreneurs, organizers, and writers—fill out the form to speak at the forum!