FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

April 19, 2010, New York, NY - PAAIA has built significant momentum for its signature event “Passing the Torch of Success”. The event is coming to the Tri-State New York area on Sunday April 25, 2010 at NYU’s Skirball Center for the Performing Arts.

By way of update to our Press Release dated March 25, 2010, PAAIA is pleased to announce that prominent author and journalist, Roya Hakakian, will also appear at this unique event that features nine of our communities finest brought together for one night, on one stage to share their career and life secrets.

Click here to view the promotional video!

Rudi Bakhtiar and Maz Jobrani are co-hosting this both educational and inspirational event, featuring:

• Top Wall Street executive, Sharmin Mossavar-Rahmani, discussing her path to becoming Chief Investment Officer of Goldman, Sachs & Co.'s Private Wealth Management Division

   

• Top NASA scientist, Dr. Firouz Naderi, sharing his life journey from Shiraz to Mars;

   

• Roya Hakakian, focusing on her journey to America, the “Land of Yes”;

   

• Nuclear physicist turned finance guru, Dr. Hamid Biglari, Chairman of Citicorp, sharing lessons from his vertical climb of the corporate ladder;

   

• Mohsen Moazami, member of Cisco executive staff and the strategic leadership team overseeing Cisco's entire operations across Emerging Markets discussing his life journey from Tehran to the Silicon Valley; and

   

• Award winning actress, writer and producer, Mary Apick, sharing career confidences in advance of her performance in the critically acclaimed play “Beneath the Veil” playing at Lincoln Center.

   

The event features a musical performance titled Notes from Persia from world-class concert pianist, violinist and composer, Tara Kamangar.

The event will begin at 2:00 pm (doors open at 1:30pm) at NYU's Skirball Center for the Performing Arts (566 LaGuardia Place, New York, NY 10012). Ticket prices are $12 students (with identification) / $50 non-students. Tickets are available for purchase:

Online: www.skirballcenter.nyu.edu.
By Phone: 212.352.3101 or 866.811.4111
In Person: 566 LaGuardia Place, Tuesday-Saturday 12noon-6pm

Event attendees are provided complimentary admission following the program to the PAAIA NexGen Torch Networking AfterParty with MC Tehran SoParvaz & DJs Alex & Amir at PRANNA Lounge located at 79 Madison Avenue in New York.

PAAIA is dedicated to serving the Iranian-American community ~ in particular, we are focused on the younger generation and leveraging our group of distinguished professionals to help forge the path for a better future for the next generation.

PAAIA is pleased to organize this event in conjunction with our Partners including NYU's Department of Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies, Columbia University’s Center for Iranian Studies, Iranian Jewish Club at NYU, NYU Persian Cultural Society, Columbia Iranian Students Association and Iranian Alliances Across Borders.

Corporate sponsors of the program include the Persian Cultural Foundation (www.persiancultural.org), Modern Prophecy (www.modernprophecy.com), Oznoz Entertainment (www.oznoz.com), the Iranian American Society of New York (www.iasnweyork.org), and the Leila Taghinia-Milani Heller Gallery.

For additional information regarding the upcoming “Passing the Torch of Success” event or VIP seats and special packages, please contact Ryan Fateh at pttnyc@gmail.com or 646.339.6855.

ABOUT PAAIA ~ The Public Affairs Alliance of Iranian Americans (PAAIA) is a nonprofit, nonpartisan, nonsectarian, independent organization that represents the domestic interests of the Iranian American community before U.S. policymakers, opinion makers and the American public at large. PAAIA seeks to achieve its mission by focusing on three major areas of activities: Community Building, Image Building, and Influence Building. Please visit www.paaia.org for more information.

ABOUT The Jack H. Skirball Center for the Performing Arts at NYU: The Skirball Center is the premier venue for the presentation of cultural and performing arts events for NYU and lower Manhattan. The programs of the Skirball Center reflect NYU’s mission as an international center of scholarship, defined by excellence and innovation and shaped by an intellectually rich and diverse environment. Since 2003, the 860-seat Center has provided a unique venue for enhancing a sense of community while continuing the Greenwich Village traditions of creativity and artistic discovery with a broad range of compelling performance events at affordable ticket prices. Led by Executive Producer Jay Oliva (President Emeritus, NYU) and Director Michael Harrington, a natural and vital aspect of the Center’s mission is to build young adult audiences for the future of live performance. www.skirballcenter.nyu.edu