Ani Petrosyan
Co-President Ani was born and raised in Fresno, CA. She moved to Los Angeles to attend the University of California, Los Angeles, where she graduated with honors and earned a B.A. in English and a minor in Entrepreneurship. Post-graduation, Ani worked as a program manager for UCLA Anderson School of Management’s Executive Education department by day and attended Loyola Law School by night. During law school, Ani took on leadership roles as Vice President and President of the Evening Students Bar Association, as well as Student Ambassador for the Admissions Office. Today, Ani is an Associate Attorney at Stubbs Alderton & Markiles. In her spare time, Ani loves reading, traveling, pampering her puppy (Poppy), and playing card games with her very competitive relatives.
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Rafi Boyadjian
Co-President Rafi was born and raised in Los Angeles, CA. He graduated from California State University, Northridge in 2020, where he earned his B.S. in Financial Analysis. During that time, he participated in the 2018 AGBU Global Leadership Program in New York and held numerous leadership roles on campus, such as President of the Student Finance Association. He began his career as a Credit Risk Analyst at Morgan Stanley in New York within the Corporate Lending division. He currently works at City National Bank as a Credit Officer Associate within the Entertainment Banking division. He is also attending USC’s Marshall School of Business in pursuit of his MBA. In his spare time, he enjoys reading autobiographies, watching documentaries, playing golf and tennis, and attending live concerts and sporting events.
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Claire Arakelian
Secretary Claire was born in Los Angeles, CA. For her undergraduate studies, she attended the University of California, Irvine and obtained a B.A. in Psychology. She started her career in fundraising at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) where she worked in the development department for six years, primarily on the foundation relations team. While working at Caltech, she obtained a Master of Public Administration with a focus on nonprofit management from the University of Southern California. She is currently the Senior Manager of Annual Giving and Stewardship at Huntington Medical Research Institutes, an independent biomedical research institute in Pasadena, CA. Claire joined APS to get involved and give back to the Armenian community. In her spare time, she enjoys hiking, birdwatching, photography, and travel.
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Narek Kazarian
Finance Director Narek was born and raised in Pasadena, CA. He attended Cal Poly Pomona, where he obtained a B.S. in Computer Science. He had his first exposure to the field of STEM through a joint internship program with Jet Propulsion Laboratory, where he worked on a project in conjunction with the Planetary Science department. Shortly after graduation, Narek delved into the world of software engineering and proceeded to work for multiple startup firms to expand his knowledge base and sharpen his skill sets. Narek currently works in a Senior DevOps Engineer role at technology firm Spokeo, where he has honed in his proficiency to focus on engineering of systems and the cloud. When he is not writing code or automating things, Narek enjoys following the stock market, reading a wide variety of genres, going on scenic hiking, and traveling.
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Marissa Bazikian
Marketing & Communications Director Marissa was born and raised in Los Angeles, CA. She attended the University of California, San Diego for her undergraduate studies, earning a B.A. in Communications and minor in Theatre Arts. Afterwards, she completed her graduate education at the University of Southern California Annenberg School of Communication and Journalism, earning a Master's in Communication Management. She is currently a Communications Specialist at City National Bank, where she writes communication on behalf of senior leaders and executives and supports the bank's overarching communication goals and strategy. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, cooking, traveling, and swimming.
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Elizabeth Zardaryan
Mentorship Director Elizabeth was born in Armenia and immigrated to the US at the age of four. Growing up in Glendale, CA, Elizabeth aspired to be an elementary school teacher. However, a high school part-time job in the banking industry turned into a 20+ year career, primarily with Union Bank. During her tenure with the bank, Elizabeth led and managed the Marina Del Rey, Manhattan Beach, and Beverly Hills offices. She subsequently achieved the role of Regional Manager of the South Orange County Market, and was recognized for outstanding performance in employee engagement, partner engagement, and client experience. Elizabeth graduated from the Consumer Bankers Association Executive Banking School in 2021, accelerating her professional growth as a retail bank leader through an immersive learning experience focusing on finance, risk, and strategic leadership. Following the recent US Bank acquisition, Elizabeth transitioned back to the Los Angeles market, joining the bank’s Performance Excellence team. The new role allows her to advocate for branch teams, elevate their voice to subject matter experts, and enable consistency of execution which promotes performance growth. Elizabeth’s advocacy and purpose-driven focus is demonstrated through her collaboration with various business lines, team members, and community organizations. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with family, hiking, and traveling. Elizabeth joined APS to give back to the community and support the career growth of Armenian professionals.
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Aren Avaness
Graduate Student Director Aren Mark Avaness was born in Iran and raised in Los Angeles, CA. He earned his B.A. in English Literature from the University of California, Los Angeless and his Juris Doctorate from Loyola Law School. Aren is the founder of Avaness Law – Accident and Injury Lawyers, a Burbank-based firm specializing in personal injury cases. Aren is passionate about helping his clients achieve justice and providing dedicated legal representation. In his free time, he enjoys traveling, playing basketball, and paintball.
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Lori Yogurtian
Social Media Director 'Lori was raised in Boston, MA. She obtained dual degrees of B.S. in Business Administration in Marketing and Management from Suffolk University. She started her career working in social media marketing at agencies such as Pandemic Labs, Softline Solutions and BCV, where she worked on global brands such as The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company and GAP INT, along with a number of both global and small business brands, helping them reach their customers through social media marketing. Lori has been involved in leadership positions at a number of Armenian community organizations since she was young, including the Armenian Bone Marrow Donor Registry, AGBU Global Leadership Program (Boston & Yerevan), Armenian Students' Association (Greater Boston), and held the position of president of AGBU Young Professionals of Boston after serving on the board for three years. She currently works as an independent contractor, and founded a boutique Social Media Marketing Agency, Kezzi Marketing. In her spare time, Lori enjoys reading, archery, digital illustration, and spending quality time with family and friends.
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Melanis Stepanian
Membership Director Melanis was born in Los Angeles, CA. Growing up in an urban area, she became passionate about environmental topics, such as water quality and waste management. Melanis studied Urban and Regional Planning at Cal Poly Pomona, emphasizing Resiliency, Sustainability, and the Environment. During her undergraduate studies, Melanis was active on her college campus, holding leadership positions in various organizations such as the Armenian Students' Association, the American Planning Students' Association, and University Housing Services. She has served in several professional environmentally-focused positions, including the City of Glendale, the City of South Pasadena, and the Disneyland Resort. Today, Melanis leads the Environmental Services Division in the City of Calabasas Public Works Department, where she continues working on environmental and engineering projects. She also serves as an Executive Board Member in the Urban and Regional Planning Alumni Chapter at her alma mater, Cal Poly Pomona. In her free time, Melanis loves going on adventures, meeting new dogs, cooking, and playing soccer.
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Ani Apikyan
Events Director Ani was born in Yerevan, Armenia, and immigrated to the U.S. at eight years old. She earned her undergraduate degree in Business Administration from the University of California, Berkeley, graduating in 2022. Following graduation, Ani launched her career as a Subcontracts Manager at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena. After two and a half years at NASA JPL, she transitioned to the defense industry, joining Northrop Grumman as a Supply Chain Specialist on the F-35 program. In 2025, Ani plans to further her education by pursuing a Master's degree. Outside of her professional pursuits, Ani loves to stay adventurous and maintain an active lifestyle. In her free time, she enjoys camping, skiing, salsa and line dancing, traveling, playing tennis, and reading.
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Argineh Danielyan
Events Director Argineh was born and raised in Tehran, Iran where she graduated as an accountant in 2009. Before immigrating to the U.S., she embraced new opportunities and challenges. She pursued her passion for creativity and launched her own successful jewelry brand, ARGI DANELI, where she combines her artistic vision highlighting Armenian culture in her designs. Argineh has been an active volunteer within the Armenian community. She contributes to prominent organizations such as Armenia Fund and she served on the social media team for Armenia Empowered, leveraging her skills to amplify meaningful causes. She joined APS to bring her unique experience, dedication, and a deep commitment for fostering community engagement through impactful events. Argineh loves being active and playing basketball, working out, reading books, cooking, and spending quality time with family and friends.
Elen Sahakyan
Outreach & Fundraising Director Elen was born and raised in Yerevan, Armenia. She earned her B.S. in Business and Economics and her Master's degree in Management from the American University of Armenia. Recently, she received her M.S. in Business Analytics from the University of California, Los Angeles Anderson School of Management. Elen currently works as a Senior Data Analyst at the Los Angeles Kings (AEG), having started her data career in entertainment and tech. As an APS Graduate Student Scholarship recipient, she joined the APS board in 2024 to contribute to providing more opportunities for higher education to Armenian students. In her free time, Elen enjoys sports, including tennis, skiing, and swimming.
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Steven Mehrabian
Events Director Steven was born and raised in Newport Beach, CA. He attended the University of California, Irvine where he obtained his B.S. in Political Science. Shortly after graduating, he started working for Tesla as a sales advisor. Steven then transitioned into the tech space, specifically software sales. He is currently a Senior Software Sales Executive at Intuit. After living in Orange County, he decided to move and buy a condo in Downtown Los Angeles where he enjoys the urban lifestyle. In his spare time, Steven enjoys working out, cycling, going to Laker games, spending time with family, trying new cafes and restaurants, and traveling. He is a also big BMW and Porsche nerd.
Natalie Shirinian
Outreach & Fundraising Director Natalie Shirinian was born in Lebanon. She received her B.S. in Biology from Haigazan University in Lebanon. She then received her Master’s in Healthcare from California State University, Los Angeles. When she moved to California, she felt the importance to connect with her Armenian roots and establish valuable relationships with like-minded Armenians in the diaspora. She joined APS with the mission to contribute to the Armenian community. Natalie enjoys outdoor activities, spending time with family, and cooking.
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