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What does Shabeh Jomeh mean?
Shabeh Jomeh literally means "night of Friday" - but its literal translation is deceptive. Shabeh Jomeh actually is a reference to “Friday eve” (or Thursday night).
In Iran, Shabeh Jomeh has a number of significances. Shabeh Jomeh is the beginning of the weekend for Iranians. Shabeh Jomeh, traditionally, is the night to go out or entertain family and/or friends. It also has been known to be the “night of mischief”. So, Shabeh Jomeh is the night for the gatherings and the name of the network – a link to Iranians globally.
How did Shabeh Jomeh begin?
Shabeh Jomeh was started in New York in February 2000. It started as a collaboration amongst Tamilla Ghodsi, Paymon Bahadoran, and some other friends. They wanted to organize a gathering of Iranian professionals in the New York area with a different twist – the goal was to set up a forum for individuals to socialize, engage in professional networking and exchange ideas. They wanted it to have a very simple formula: it had to be cool and no frills – it had to be about community building and not about exclusivity. It had to be open and optional, easy and fun – and, it had to be non-political and non-religious, no ifs ands or buts. Others shared the same perspective and Shabeh Jomeh has taken off!
How did Shabeh Jomeh Expand?
New York gained momentum and eventually word got out! Neda Nabavi, who attended a Shabeh Jomeh in New York, took the initiative in January 2003 and started Shabeh Jomeh in Chicago. Not only did it have a tremendous impact on the Chicagoland community, but it was the catalyst to Shabeh Jomeh’s international expansion.
Marjan Chegounchi, who used to live in the NY area, moved to London and saw the need for Shabeh Jomeh there and started the first international locale – it got a great reception thanks to Marjan and her quick marketing.
Susie Naficy, who had also lived in New York, moved to Seattle and spearheaded the effort on the west coast and has helped expand the philanthropic efforts.
Leila Abdi, couldn’t let D.C. fall behind these other big cities and took charge in D.C. and Shabeh Jomeh D.C. has been a great complement to all the other community building organizations in the D.C. metropolitan area. Leila was also responsible for helping get Atlanta up and running with Kami Sharifi.
Ali Naraghi, first became involved with Shabeh Jomeh New York in 2000, and seeing the value of networking took the concept to Los Angeles and recruited Sanam Khamneipour for the team!
Yazdaneh Amiryazdani caught onto Shabeh Jomeh through an email she received from a friend in Chicago and contacted us to start a chapter “down under!”
After much interaction with Neda Nabavi on other projects, Bruce Bahmani called Neda up one day and said he wanted to make Shabeh Jomeh happen in the San Francisco Bay Area—it was a package deal San Francisco and San Jose too!
The fantastic thing is that all chapters meet simultaneously on the same night in each of these locales – a bond between our communities and a great network upon which we can all capitalize. Each Shabeh Jomeh has its own character within the framework of the simple formula highlighted above—building a community to help us both socially and professionally advance.
When Did Shabeh Jomeh Start?
New York........................................................February 2000
Chicago..........................................................January 2003
London...........................................................March 2003
Seattle............................................................May 2003
DC...................................................................July 2003
Los Angeles....................................................September 2004
San Francisco.................................................December 2004
San Jose.........................................................December 2004 - New Face 2008
Boston.............................................................April 2005
Atlanta.............................................................April 2005
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BBC World Service Radio Features Shabeh Jomeh
On January 29, 2004, BBC World Service Radio featured Shabeh Jomeh in their Outlook program as they examined they meaning of special days to different people around the world. | 
Shabeh Jomeh on BBC |
Atlanta | Mahkameh “Kami” Sharifi
Kami leads the Atlanta chapter of Shabeh Jomeh. She is currently a Project Manager for the Atlanta based Neurostar Solutions, Inc. Kami was born in Shiraz, Iran and has lived in Atlanta since she was eight years old. Upon completion of her undergraduate and graduate studies, Kami’s sense of adventure and curiosity for other cultures and languages took her abroad and across the Atlantic to Europe. For the next two years, Kami lived in Switzerland, England, and Germany and traveled extensively throughout the continent. While abroad, Kami was able to experience one thing that most interested her, the diversity of languages and people, their differences and similarities. After her forays abroad, Kami returned to Atlanta with an understanding and appreciation for where she has come from and considers both Atlanta and Shiraz her home. Kami remains active in the Iranian community as well as outside the Iranian community where her love for animals keeps her actively involved in PALS, a local organization supporting people with AIDS by keeping care of their pets while they attend therapy. If you would like to contact Kami, please email her at Atlanta@shabehjomeh.com. |
Boston | Reza Amini
Reza was born and raised in Tehran, Iran. He graduated from Tehran University with a degree in Chemical Engineering, and worked for two years at the Chatr Baam Isolator factory as a Quality Control Coordinator. Reza moved to Boston in December 2000, received his Master's Degree in Mechanical Engineering in 2002, and is currently finishing his PhD degree at Northeastern University in Mechanical Engineering. At present Reza is a Research fellow at Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary and working on multiple projects in the field of biomedical engineering. Reza's hobbies include photography, playing badminton, cycling, and hiking. If you'd like to contact Reza please email boston@shabehjomeh.com.
Sherean Azarmi
Sherean was born and raised in the States, a Rhode Island native she completed her undergraduate degree at URI. Her sense of adventure and passion for cultures and languages led her to spend a summer in Europe on a work abroad program. Upon her return to the states she became active in the Persian community while in Philadelphia, PA pursuing her graduate studies in microbiology and management at TJU. She’s currently working in the Drug Safety and Disposition Group at Millennium Pharmaceuticals Inc. Sherean is also a licensed Massachusetts realtor with the Smart Boston Move team serving Boston and neighboring cities. She has been an active member of the Boston Iranian community for several years now. Sherean is pursuing architecture and business in her spare time. She participates in numerous charitable and social organizations and has a strong sense for athletics such as sailing and rollerblading but her true passion is playing volleyball! If you would like to contact Sherean, please email her at Boston@shabehjomeh.com.
Sherry Hakimi
Sherry was born and raised in the Boston area, and graduated from the University of Massachusetts-Amherst in 2006 with dual degrees in Marketing and International Development. She currently works in Global Corporate Communications for Reebok International. Sherry also serves as the Public Relations Director for Iranian Alliances Across Borders ( www.iranianalliances.org). She loves to travel and has lived in various places around the world, including Iran, Hawaii and Spain. She enjoys reading, running and playing squash in her free time. If you'd like to contact Sherry, please email her at boston@shabehjomeh.com.
Joubin Hassanein
Joubin is currently the Senior Project Engineer of Modern Continental on Boston’s Central Artery Project. His expertise has been developed on some of the most demanding and technologically advanced projects in the country – earning him the respect of his peers through speaking presentations, award winning contracts and various other contributions to the industry. He was born in Iran but at the age of seven moved to England and shortly thereafter relocated to Toronto, Canada. He graduated as a Civil Engineer from Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario and for the past 11 years has made Boston his home. To contact Joubin, please email boston@shabehjomeh.com. |
Chicago | Iman Azad
Iman Azad was born in Tehran, Iran and moved to the US when he was 9 years old. He lived in Europe (Paris and Rome) before making his way to Milwaukee and finally Chicago. He received a degree in Biology and Economics from the University of Chicago. Currently, he is managing a PE firm in Chicago.
Farshad Davachi
Farshad Davachi was born in Ahwaz, Iran and moved to the U.S. with his family when he was 8. He grew up in Nashville, TN and also went to college (Vanderbilt University) there. He studied electrical engineering and math and has been working as an embedded software engineer and owns his own software consulting company. After living in Memphis and the Boston area, Chicago has been home since 1997.
Arzu Jalee Karimova
Arzu Jalee Karimova decided to join Shabeh Jomeh as a third generation Iranian. She wants to learn more about the culture of her great grandparents and improve her Persian skills. She is looking forward to meeting people and building friendships.
Life interests her from many angles, and she is still seeking what fascinates her. She is utterly mesmerized by the rational capabilities of humankind. For the past 13 years she has held many different job titles and volunteered at different charity or social organizations. She is one of the founding members of Global Youth Action Network, an international youth-led organization that unites the efforts of young people working to improve our world. She has been featured in international publications and television and attended over 25 national and international conferences. She has be a speaker at dozens of conferences, including United Nations Headquarters. She also finds time to be active in Chicago's political scene. Sometimes she can be found at public events questioning authorities' motives for adopting policies that affect most of us. She also has a penchant for outdoor sports such as running and skiing
Azadeh Khastoo
Azadeh Khastoo was born in Yazd on January 1982 . She moved to Tehran on September
1995 where she finished her high school in Tehran and moved to the United States in October 2001. Azadeh lived in Maryland for four years until she came to Chicago and attended the School of the Art institute of Chicago. She graduated in 2007 and now works as a freelance photographer.
Shirin Rezania
Shirin Rezania was born in Shiraz and grew up in Tehran until coming to Chicago in 1993. She finished high school in Evanston and completed her Bachelor of Science Degree in Biochemistry at the University of Illinois at Chicago. She has worked for several major pharmaceutical companies, in positions ranging from genetic research to corporate purchasing. In 2005, Shirin decided to apply her negotiation and business experience into Real Estate, by changing careers to become a Realtor®. Currently she is a full time Real Estate Sales Agent at Koenig & Strey GMAC, the largest Real Estate brokerage firm in Chicago. She is married and lives in downtown Chicago. She is also a leader in the local Persian community, founder of www.chicagopersians.com, one of the largest online groups for Persians and others interested in Persian culture. |
DC Metro Area |
Meenoo Chahbazi
Meenoo leads the DC chapter of Shabeh Jomeh. She is a young attorney who recently moved to the D.C. Metro area. She received her undergraduate degree in Political Science from U.C. Berkeley where she served as editor-in-chief of the Iranian student publication, Perspective. She also attended Harvard Law School where she was the co-president of the Middle Eastern Law Students Association and organized the 2003 Harvard Norouz Celebration. She enjoys participating in Iranian cultural activities as well as learning about other cultures. She has studied and worked in India, Egypt, Brazil, and Ghana. She has also performed Persian, Afro-Brazilian, and Bollywood dance, and recently appeared in the Network of South Asian Professionals Fusion Dance Performance.
Mercedes Salem
Ms. Salem received her bachelor's degree in Anthropology from
Santa Clara University and her law degree from Santa Clara University
School of Law. Prior to law
school Ms. Salem worked in Silicon Valley for five years as a web
development project manager for companies such as Fujitsu Inc. and
later as a consultant for Cisco Systems. While pursuing her law degree
she has worked at the Santa Clara District Attorney's Office and was a
summer law clerk at the Department of Justice in Washington DC. Ms.
Salem also devotes her time to various charitable organizations and was
the president of the Santa Clara Middle Eastern Law Students
Association.
Babak Talebi
Mr. Talebi is the Director of Community Relations at the National Iranian American Council (NIAC) DC office. He was one of NIAC's founders in 2002, and he served as Treasurer on its founding Board of Directors for 12 months before moving out of state. Mr. Talebi has held marketing and management positions in several companies based out of Kansas, Virginia, and New York since his graduation in 2002. He received his Bachelor's of Arts degrees in Economics and in Political Science, from the University of Maryland, College Park. He joined Iranians for International Cooperation (IIC) and served as its DC Chapter Coordinator. He was later elected to the Board of Directors for two terms including one term as the organization's President. At the University of Maryland, Mr. Talebi was deeply engaged in the leadership of several organizations. For three years he served as the President of the Iranian Students' Foundation (ISF), which continues to remain one of the most respected Iranian American organizations in the DC metro area. Mr. Talebi is also an Omicron Delta Kappa (ODK) Leadership Honor Society member and was variously recognized by the University and the Student Government for his leadership and volunteer activities. Born in Shiraz, Iran, Mr. Talebi has lived in Shiraz, Tabriz, Ankara, Baltimore, Manhattan (KS), and Washington DC.
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London | Marjan Chegounchi M.D.
Marjan Chegounchi leads the London Chapter of Shabeh Jomeh. She graduated from St.George's Hospital Medical School, London, UK in 1995. She then moved to Chicago and finished her residency in Internal Medicine at UIC, IL. She finished her fellowship in Nephrology at UMDNJ, Newark, NJ in 2002. She is certified with the American board of Internal Medicine and Nephrology. She is currently working as a Nephrologist in a private practice in Los Angeles,California. She was born in Tehran, Iran. To contact Marjan, please email London@shabehjomeh.com.
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| New York | Behnaz Ghahramani
Behnaz leads the New York chapter of Shabeh Jomeh. She is currently a Bilingual Technical Project Manager, working for the Redcats division of Pinault-Printemps-Redoute, a French owned fashion conglomerate encompassing brands such as Gucci, YSL, Balenciaga, Alexander McQueen, Stella McCartney, La Redoute and FNAC. She is originally from Shiraz, was born in Canada, raised in Dubai, and moved to NY from the Washington DC area. She graduated summa cum laude completing her B.S. in Decision Sciences and Management Information Systems from George Mason University. She also completed a Minor in French through Université Paris Sorbonne – Paris IV. While at George Mason, Behnaz was the President of Golden Key International Honor Society and a member of Beta Gamma Sigma. She is trilingual, a triathlete, and has a black belt in Shotokan. Her hobbies include Persian poetry, reading, and traveling the world. If you would like to contact Behnaz, please email her at ny@shabehjomeh.com
Hooman Tavakolian
Hooman is the leader of Shabeh Jomeh's New York Chapter. He works for hedge fund Pequot Capital Management. Prior to Pequot, he worked as a Compliance Manager for Morgan Stanley Investment Management & UBS Global Asset Management. He is an active member of the National Society for Compliance Professionals. Hooman was born in Tehran, Iran and moved to Long Island, NY in 1985 at the age of 8. He attended Hofstra University, on a wrestling scholarship, but left Hofstra to receive his BA in Psychology from Hunter College in NYC. In 2003, he received his MBA from LIU. He is currently pursuing his D.B.A.
He was also an assistant wrestling coach at Hunter College in NYC from 2000- '02. He is an active supporter of Iran wrestling. His hobbies include traveling, reading Baba Tahir poetry, and riding his motorcycle. To contact Hooman email him at ny@shabehjomeh.com.
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San Jose
San Francisco
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Hani Orangi
Hani Orangi lives in the San Jose Metro area and works with many community groups as a volunteer and supporter. She attended San Diego State University for both her B.A. and M.A. She has worked at Cisco Systems for the past seven years and her current role is a Program Manager for the Learning and Development team in the Global Supply Chain Management Organization. In 1996 Hani, along with three other friends, started the Persian Club at De Anza College; which is still going strong. Hani's other contributions to the community includes her role as a member of GCSF, a nonprofit organization. She is also involved with Dehkhoda Farsi School and volunteers teaching young kids their roles for the Annual Nooroz Celebration show. She can be reached at haniorangi@hotmail.com.
Maryam Daryabegi
Financial professional at First Republic Bank, A division of Merrill Lynch Bank & Trust Co. FSB, who has been committed to building long term relationships with clients by delivering personalized, highly responsive service to the business community. Expertise includes; corporate cash management, private banking, business banking, investment management, brokerage, trust services, wealth management and commercial lending. She can be reached at maryambanoo@gmail.com.
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Seattle | Susie Naficy Susie leads the Seattle chapter of Shabeh Jomeh. She is a corporate finance attorney practicing in the Seattle office of Perkins Coie LLP. Prior to her move to Seattle, Susie practiced corporate and securities law at Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati in New York City. Susie received her JD from New York University School of Law in 2001, and her BA in Economics from the University of California at Santa Barbara in 1996. Susie is a member of the University of Washington’s Persian Studies Advisory Board which organizes lectures and events promoting Iranian culture and heritage in the community. Susie also plays an active role in several other charitable organizations in the Seattle area, both inside and outside of the Iranian community. Susie was raised in Southern California. To contact Susie, please email seattle@shabehjomeh.com. |
Sydney | Yazdaneh Amiryazdani Yazdaneh Amiryazdani graduated from University of Queensland in Brisbane with B.S. in Psychology. She moved to Sydney where she continued her studies in clinical Audiology and received her Masters in Clinical Audiology in 2002. Currently Yazdaneh works for National Hearing Centres in Chatswood and offers service to patients in the area of hearing and balance, disorders, and rehabilitation by selecting, fitting, and dispensing amplification systems such as hearing aids. She also works in the Iranian Culture and Art Association in Sydney and is a member of the committee management which is organizing poetry nights and other services to Iranians in Sydney.To contact Yazdaneh, please email her at sydney@shabehjomeh.com. |
Founder and Philanthropic Advisor Executive Director | Tamilla Ghodsi
Tamilla Ghodsi began Shabeh Jomeh in New York in February 2000 and currently acts as Advisor and Philanthropic Coordinator. She is a Vice President at the investment bank of Goldman Sachs & Co. in New York. Prior to joining GS in 1997, Tamilla was a tax lawyer at the New York law firm of White & Case. Tamilla received her JD degree from Michigan Law School in 1994, an LL.M. in Taxation from New York University Law School in 1997, and her BA with dual concentrations in Economics and International Studies from Northwestern University in 1991. Tamilla is a board member of the Iranian-Amercian Bar Association, Razi Health Foundation and the Coalition for Persian Charities. Tamilla was born in Mashad, Iran.
Neda Nabavi
Neda Nabavi leads the Chicago Chapter and is the Executive Director of Shabeh Jomeh . She is currently the Vice President of Trading Technology Control for Man Financial. She graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1998. She has worked at Cargill Investor Services, Ernst & Young LLP, and Chicago Mercantile Exchange Inc. Neda was born and raised in the Chicago area. She speaks Persian and Spanish fluently. Neda is a member of numerous other charitable and social organizations. If you would like to contact Neda, please email her at Chicago@shabehjomeh.com
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Interested in information about the new city addtions to Shabeh Jomeh? Interested in bringing Shabeh Jomeh to your city? Let us know.
Email us at info@shabehjomeh.com.
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