Our Team

Sarah Saghar Barzmehri is an artist, gallerist, and curator. She studied art at “Ecole Superior des Beaux Arts”, (fine art school) in Paris, France and graphic design at university of Maryland Baltimore County in Baltimore, MD. For the past 20 years, she has promoted artists and specially, Iranian and Iranian-American artists in Washington metropolitan area.

Nikki Emadi has over two decades of nonprofit experience. She grew up in Northern Virginia before pursuing a degree in psychology at University of North Texas. and continued her education at the Boston School of Psychoanalysis.

Her leadership qualities are characterized by a genuine sense of empathy, enabling her to connect with diverse groups and inspire positive change. She recognizes the significance of bridging the gap
between cultures and generations, and her steadfast believe in the power of community fuels her to create meaningful impact.

Shekofeh Javanparast, moved to the United States in 2003 with her husband and two sons. After graduating Marymount University with a bachelor degree in Interior design in 2014, she began her career at Poggenpohl, a German manufacturer, specializing in luxury kitchen designs based in Washington, DC. Later, Javanparast worked at Department of State and oversaw building operation before transitioning to her current position at Library of Congress, Space Utilization Planning and Design.

In her spare time, Javanparast teaches sketching and painting to adults. In addition, she taught art to children at the Iranian Community School in Vienna, Virginia.

Together, Shekofeh Javanparast and Sarah Saghar Barzmehri will lead the Art Programs at Pars Place.

Marjan Haghani Mobasser is a graduate of American University and received her Bachelor of Arts in Communications. Prior to Joining IACC, she was a stay-at-home mom for seven years. During that time, she perfected her time management and organizational skills.

She has also worked for renown company, Tiffany & Co for ten years. She is committed to sharing the rich and deep Iranian culture.

Tina Nejand is a student at New York University. She is an active member of her community and teaches STEM enrichment lessons for elementary school students, tutors high school students, and offers technology tutoring for senior citizens. She is passionate about and looking forward to sharing her Persian heritage and culture with others.

Ariana Soltany graduated from Tulane University in May of 2021 and is dedicated to pursuing film production. In the fall of 2020, she wrote, produced, and edited her capstone film entirely on her own: a twelve-minute documentary reflecting on her upbringing as an Iranian-American and analyzing the generational differences of how Iranian-Americans view themselves in the United States. She is passionate about using film as an artistic medium to communicate and share aspects about her Persian heritage and culture with others.