Meet your Speakers and Performers

Sheherazad F. Kapadia is the Co-Chair of the 8th World Zoroastrian Youth Congress and a dedicated advocate for health equity and inclusion. With a distinguished career as a Senior Occupational Therapist for Adults with Learning Disabilities, Sheherazad has worked collaboratively with a number of communities including children, asylum seekers and people with neurological conditions. Sheherazad's commitment to transforming healthcare services is evident through her guest lecturing at multiple UK universities and selection to present at the Royal College of Occupational Therapists National Conference 2022 on topics pertaining to health equity. Her current research in this area has encouraged future occupational therapists to create more inclusive environments for the betterment of clinicians and clients. Since 2019, Sheherazad has held the impactful position of Chair of the Young Zoroastrians of the UK, showcasing her collaborative and value-based leadership style. She firmly believes in the power of unity within the Zoroastrian community, encouraging individuals to work together for the common good, even when differing opinions arise. Under Sheherazad's guidance, the 8th World Zoroastrian Youth Congress promises to be a transformative event, fostering dialogue, understanding, and collective action for the betterment of the Zoroastrian community and beyond.

Sanaya Khambatta-Heerjee is one of the Co-Chairs of the 8th World Zoroastrian Youth Congress and a highly skilled Managing Consultant at IBM. With a strong business and technical background, Sanaya has successfully collaborated with high-profile clients across various industries. She is passionate about inspiring others to pursue careers in the technology sector and remains actively involved in the technical community. As a devoted mentor, Sanaya shares her knowledge, skills, and expertise by guiding numerous students and participating in sessions that foster professional growth. Her commitment to the technical community is further exemplified by her active membership in various technical committees. In addition to her professional accomplishments, Sanaya is the current Vice President of the Young Zoroastrians of the UK. As Co-Chair for the 8th World Zoroastrian Youth Congress, she is dedicated to fostering a sense of community among the global Zoroastrian youth, like she had growing up. From a young age, Sanaya has been actively involved in the community, working tirelessly to contribute to a lasting legacy and a more sustainable future for generations to come. Sanaya's impact extends beyond the Zoroastrian community, as she has also worked with international charities in website creation and managing teams globally to help further their cause and impact. Her dedication to making a difference is evident in her diverse contributions to various causes. With Sanaya's vision and dedication, the 8th World Zoroastrian Youth Congress aspires to be a milestone event that cultivates open conversation and reignites connections for the youth. Her leadership will undoubtedly contribute to the empowerment of the next generation of Zoroastrians to work together for a prosperous and harmonious future.

Sir Rohinton Kalifa is Chairman of Network International, a FTSE company and leading payments operator across the Middle East and Africa. Ron is a Non-Executive Director on the Court of the Bank of England and is a member of the Council of Imperial College, London. He was appointed to the Board of the England & Wales Cricket Board (ECB) as an Independent Non-Executive Director in November 2020 and he is a Trustee of the Royal Foundation, the primary philanthropic and charitable vehicle which supports the work of the Prince and Princess of Wales. Their projects revolve around conservation, the early years, mental health, and emergency responders. Ron was invited to lead an independent Fintech Strategic Review for the UK at the request of the Chancellor of the Exchequer, which launched in July 2020 to make recommendations for the government, industry and regulators on how to maintain the UK’s position as a global leader in fintech policy. Ron led Worldpay for over 10 years as CEO including its divestment into private equity ownership in 2010. He served as Vice Chairman thereafter, remaining as an Executive director until February 2020. Ron was knighted in the Queen’s Jubilee Birthday 2022 Honours List for services to financial services, technology and public service.

Lord Karan Bilimoria CBE, DL is the founder of Cobra Beer, Chairman of the Cobra Beer Partnership Limited. He is one of the first visiting entrepreneurs at the University of Cambridge, and a founding member of the Prime Minister of India’s Global Advisory Council. He qualified as a Chartered Accountant (FCA) with Ernst & Young and graduated in law from the University of Cambridge. He is also an alumnus through executive education of the Cranfield School of Management, the London Business School and the Harvard Business School. In 2006, Karan was appointed the Lord Bilimoria of Chelsea, making him the first ever Zoroastrian Parsi member to sit in the House of Lords. In 2008 he was awarded the Pravasi Bharati Saman by the President of India. He is an honorary fellow of Sidney Sussex College Cambridge, former Chairman of the Advisory Board of the Judge Business School, Cambridge University, and Honorary Ambassador of CJBS, Bynum Tudor Fellow of Kellogg College, Oxford and Visiting Fellow at Said Business School, Oxford. In July 2014, he was installed as the seventh Chancellor of the University of Birmingham, making him the first Indian-born Chancellor of a Russell Group University in the UK. He is the President of the UK Council for International Students Affairs (UKCISA). He is also a patron of the Zoroastrian Trust Funds of Europe (ZTFE), Founder President and Chairman World Zoroastrian Chamber of Commerce (WZCC) UK Chapter, Founder Chair Zoroastrian All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG), and the first President of Indian origin at the Confederation of British Industry (CBI), completing his term from June 2020 to June 2022. He is also an Honorary Group Captain of the 601 Squadron, Royal Air Force.

Merzi Mody is a Zoroastrian photographer, rally driver, traveler and community leader from Sydney, Australia. He is passionate about experiencing and capturing the beauty of the world around him, from natural landscapes to cities and the people he meets. Merzi's love of motorsport led him to a tarmac rally in which he has been competing for the past few years, even finishing with a ‘cheeky’ podium in his first year of motorsport. His volunteering makes him a significant contributor to the community around him, including local councils, grass-roots sporting organisations, food banks as well as the Australian Zoroastrian Association and their youth wing, Sydney Zoro Youth. He is passionate about giving back to his community, and he believes that everyone has a responsibility to get involved and make a difference.

Mark Gifford is the Director of the ASHA Centre, in the Forest of Dean. ASHA is an educational charity and retreat centre for young adults worldwide. Weaving together interfaith understanding, connection to nature and the performing arts, ASHA is a place of hope, transformation and purpose. As the name suggests, ASHA has Zoroastrian roots, and so does Mark! His Mum's side of the family are Parsi Iranis from Pune and Calcutta. He also has a Masters with Distinction in S. Asian Religions, including the study of Zoroastrianism. Mark is leading the introductory ice-breaker evening on the first day of the Congress - the aim is to get everyone mingling, connecting and bonding from the off.

Kerman Jasavala is an Associate Partner at IBM specialising in digital healthcare and has very strong connections to the Zoroastrian community in the UK and across the world. He was president of the UK Young Zoroastrians between 1994 and 2001, Chairperson of the 2nd World Zoroastrian Youth Congress held in London in 1997, and received the World Youth Leadership award at the 7th World Zoroastrian Congress in 2000. Supporting the Zoroastrian community is truly a family tradition, with his parents, aunt and uncle, siblings, wife, and more recently, his children all playing their part. The support has taken many forms, from formal roles on managing committees to helping at the YZ fun club in the UK.

Zamyad Cyrus Meherji is the Head of Marketing and is heavily involved in the planning and organizing of the upcoming 8th World Zoroastrian Youth Congress. Zamyad is proud of having grown up in the tiny but close-knit Parsee community in Kolkata, India. He moved to Toronto, Canada in 2014 to pursue his postgraduate studies in Sports Marketing and Advertising Management. After 7 years in Canada, he moved to London, UK in November 2021 where he currently works as an Account Manager at a global AdTech company. He has served on the Zoroastrian Society of Ontario’s (ZSO) Board of Directors, in Toronto, Canada. He also served as the Co-Chair of the ZYNA committee as well as the Co-Chair of FEZANA’s Performance & Creative Arts Scholarship and the Bapsi Irani Culinary Arts Scholarship Committees. Zamyad participated in the Z Games held in Chicago, 2016 as well as Los Angeles, 2018. He has won an overall 7 individual medals (Track and Table Tennis) over the two editions. He was the only participant from Canada at the soccer - Z Unity Cup held in Los Angeles, USA in 2017 leading his team to a third-placed finish. He envisions a global Zoroastrian Youth network – where the youth can connect, grow and build an enduring interpersonal relationship with one another.

Ryan Kalifa is a multi-talented individual known for his diverse contributions in various fields. In addition to his interest in the Zoroastrian community, Ryan has built a career in the field of TV and Film as an Edit Assistant. While Ryan's accomplishments in the entertainment industry have earned him credits on Netflix and National Geographic/Disney+, he remains humble and focused on pushing boundaries with a passion for storytelling. Ryan is excited to be part of the 8WZYC, where he looks forward to sharing his experiences, learning from others, and working towards a brighter future for the Zoroastrian youth.

Shernaz Engineer is a Fellow of the Institute of Recruitment Consultants and runs recruitment agency Verity Appointments. She is also Chair of the Zoroastrian Chamber of Commerce- UK Chapter which encourages entrepreneurship within the Zoroastrian Community and a Trustee for Learning for Life, a charity which enables South Asia’s most marginalised children to gain access to education, health and employment. She has won various awards including the ‘London Day Business Award’ by London’s Mayor, the Asian Achievers Award for Business in the Community, one of the 100 women nominated by the Mayor as ‘Women who make London Great’ in 2019, and one of the 50 Leading Lights on the Financial Times List of Kindness and Leadership. She is an ambassador and supporter of the British Heart Foundation and is on their events committee.

Ruzbeh Bacha is the founder and CEO of Cityfalcon.ai, a fintech leveraging AI to curate financial content. He learnt how to code, started the business from his flat in London, and now has a team of 50 in 3 countries. The company has raised £5m in funding, and their clients include eToro, BNP Paribas, StoneX, Seedrs, and several other reputed names in financial services. Before Cityfalcon, Ruzbeh worked in finance and strategy roles at KPMG, Nokia, Skype, and Microsoft. He is a chartered accountant from India, has an MBA from the University of Oxford, and has self-taught coding and machine learning.

Jehann Kotwal took over family company JFK Transporters, one of India's safest transportation services, after completing his major in Entrepreneurship and minor in International studies from FLAME (Foundation of Liberal and Management Education) in 2012. He has since led the company to new heights, opening offices all over the country, introducing new technology and contributing to the field of Road transportation, recently winning the Castrol best Transporter award. Jehaan's latest Social Venture Startup Good Mind is using AI to save over 100 lives daily in road accidents. He is also the Global Youth Director in WZCC World Zoroastrian Chamber of Commerce and works to empower youth to grow professionally and in their businesses. He is actively involved in different business start-ups and consults young entrepreneurs on their ventures. He believes in having a balanced life by giving all aspects of his life equal priority.

Farzad is a Senior Product Manager at Microsoft, where he plays an instrumental role in leading the product design and execution of AI capabilities in the Azure cloud. Farzad is passionate about empowering individuals and organizations in creating cutting-edge experiences that revolutionize the way we interact with technology. Prior to joining Microsoft, Farzad held a variety of positions in engineering and product management at Chevron Corporation. Farzad holds a B.S. in Petroleum Engineering from Louisiana State University, accompanied by minors in Computer Science and Technical Sales. Additionally, he earned an M.Eng. in Engineering Management from Cornell University. Farzad is also a member of ZAH and ZTFE and in his free time, he enjoys traveling, reading, and cycling.

Yuhan Sohrab-Dinshaw Vevaina is the Bahari Associate Professor of Sasanian Studies and a Governing Body Fellow of Wolfson College at the University of Oxford. He completed his Ph.D. in Iranian and Persian Studies at Harvard University in 2007 and has since taught at Harvard, Stanford, the University of Toronto and Oxford, specialising in the study of hermeneutics or theories of interpretation of the Gathas in the Sasanian and early Islamic centuries. He is the co-editor of The Wiley Blackwell Companion to Zoroastrianism, the largest single volume reference work on Zoroastrianism, the author of a two-volume book project on the ninth book of the Dēnkard, and he is currently co-authoring a critical edition of Manuščihr’s Epistles.

Vada Dasturji Khurshed Dastoor is the High Priest of IranShah Atash Behram, Udvada, and the Honorary President of Religions for Peace. He was initiated as a Sampoorna Priest at the age of 14 having studied at the Dadar Athornan Institute. He has performed higher liturgical ceremonies at Iranshah Atash Behram since the young age of 16. Dasturji Khurshed delivers lectures on the Zoroastrian religion and history all over the world, and has delivered an address at the Jewish Synagogue in New York. He was felicitated by the Mayor of the city of Houston Texas by declaring Sep 09 2016 as Dasturji Khurshed Dastur Kaikobad Dastoor Day. In December 2015, 2017 and 2019 Dasturji Khurshed was instrumental in planning and holding the Iranshah Udvada Utsav, and he inaugurated the World Zoroastrian Congress 2022

Nazneen Engineer was the first Postdoctoral Researcher at the SOAS Shapoorji Pallonji Institute of Zoroastrian Studies. For her doctorate, she produced an annotated translation of a Parsi Gujarati text written in 1883 by a prominent high-priest of the Parsi Zoroastrian community after the Mazagon Navjotes that took place in Bombay in the nineteenth century. After her PhD, Nazneen returned to India where she worked for a non-profit charitable Trust that ignited her interest in the theories and concepts of identity. She undertook her first post-doctoral research project assessing the pathways to an ethnic and religious identity for the offspring of mixed marriage, specifically, between a Parsi Zoroastrian parent and a non-Parsi non-Zoroastrian parent. She was Project Manager of the Gen Z and Beyond Survey, a once-in-a-lifetime survey that collected and analysed data on the global Zoroastrian community.

Mahzarin Katrak grew up in Abu Dhabi, and is currently in her fourth year of studying a double degree in Civil Engineering and Architectural Design at Monash University in Melbourne, Australia. Mahzarin became a youth ambassador for the BaHumata series, which led her to organise and conduct the first global Zoroastrian graduation ceremony in collaboration with the Zoroastrian Youth of North America during the pandemic. She was elected as the Residential Communities Office Bearer in 2022 and a General Representative in 2023 for the Monash Student Association, the largest tertiary student association in Australia. Mahzarin is also part of Monash Sustainable Buildings, an engineering team within Monash University that designs net-zero buildings. In April, she travelled to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Colorado, USA, as part of the team to present at the United States Department of Energy Solar Decathlon.

Ervad Sheherazad Pavri is a young Yaozdathregar Mobed from Mumbai, India, and completed his priestly training from the Dadar Athornan Institute in 2010. After graduating in Biotechnology, he started running his business with his friend building a global e-commerce project. Since last year, he transitioned into Data science and is currently working with a climate tech company called Net Zero Pro and assisting it to scale up. Sheherazad is a core committee member of the Empowering Mobeds programme which works on initiatives for grooming and supporting Mobeds in India. He has also been a volunteer with the Zoroastrian Return to Roots programme since 2017 and was recently the ambassador and Associate Researcher for the Gen Z and Beyond Academic Research survey project with SOAS University of London.

Meherwan Rohinton Patel is currently reading Philosophy and Anthropology at Yale-NUS College in Singapore. He spent the first 18 years of his life in Karachi, Pakistan, where he competed for the national swim team. His most recent interest is exploring the intersection of health and religion, and is currently exploring the forms and philosophies of traditional medicine, from China to Iran. He spent this semester as a study-abroad student at SOAS, London, where he read Eastern Philosophy and Medicine and spent his free time travelling and hiking the two tallest mountains in the UK.

Alaisha comes from Mountain View, California, where she grew up with one foot in the STEM world and one foot in the arts world, primarily dance. She graduated from Harvard College in 2020, specializing in the applications of computer science to clean energy, and keeping up with dance as a hobby. Chronic injuries in the years post-graduation have pushed her to think about mind-body connections in unexpected ways. Through prayer and meditation, Alaisha believes she has found a common thread between dance and movement, spirituality, and the fight for the natural world: cultivation of the quietly receptive mind.

Sarah Stewart is the SOAS Shahpoorji Pallonji Reader in Zoroastrianism and is co-chair of the SSP Institute of Zoroastrian Studies. Her principal area of research is the Zoroastrian living tradition. Her publications include, in collaboration with Mandana Moavenat, Voices from Zoroastrian Iran, Volumes 1 and 2, which are based on fieldwork accompanied by an archive of recorded interviews. Sarah was the lead curator of the exhibition The Everlasting Flame, Zoroastrianism in History and Imagination (Brunei Gallery, SOAS 2013 and the National Museum, Delhi, 2016) and has recently launched a short introductory online course on Zoroastrianism. Her most recent project, Gen Z and Beyond: A Survey for Every Generation, was the first of its kind capturing the demographics, religious practices and views of Zoroastrians in the world today.

Ruzbeh Vistasp Hodiwala is a PhD candidate at SOAS, University of London. His thesis focuses on the study of ‘Zoroastrians-by-choice’ and their interactions with ethnic Zoroastrians. He has a bachelor's degree in Economics from St. Xavier's College in Ahmedabad, India, and a master's degree in Iranian Studies from SOAS. Ruzbeh, who has received the SOAS Kamran Djam, Shapoorji Pallonji, and ZTFE's Zartoshty Brothers Scholarships, among others, has conducted ethnographic fieldwork in twelve countries, Aside from academia, Ruzbeh was a recipient of an AFS Intercultural Programmes scholarship to Italy and has been trained as a trainer for Intercultural Learning, Volunteer and Organisation Development.

Nadia Jam’s s half way through an intentional 2 year leave of absence from her Masters program in Integral Counseling Psychology at the California Institute of Integral Studies. She always knew the 9-5 lifestyle wasn't for her, although she gave it a try as a government worker during her Bachelor’s where she specialized in political science in French Immersion. Nadia facilitates sharing circles for Zoroastrian girls at the Toronto Darbemehr to help them feel seen, heard, understood, valued and empowered. She believes in the collective contribution and power of the ripple effect when we focus on our own vibrational state and reachable communities.

Darius Parekh lives in South London and enjoys cycling and walking.

Burzine Waghmar is the Arts & Humanities Librarian at the SOAS Library (London's School of Oriental and African Studies) and holds affiliations with the Centre for Iranian Studies (CIS), Centre for the Study of Pakistan (CSP), and SOAS South Asia Institute (SSAI) . Recently Burzine has been a consultant and external auditor to many international organisations such as the U.S. National Intelligence Council; Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organisation (UNPO); Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA). In the UK he consults and audits the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS); Greater Manchester Police Counterterrorism Unit; Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO); and Ministry of Defence Languages Examination Board (MODLEB). To top these achievements, he is also Fellow at both the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), London from 2022 and in the Netherlands, the European Foundation for South Asian Studies (EFSAS). He is also a senior fellow of the USANAS Foundation in India. Previous notable achievements include a seminar, From Nisa to Niya: Reappraising Cultural Conduits and Commercial Centres along the Silk Road from 6-7 January 2018 conducted at of Bombay’s K R Cama Oriental Institute where he is a governing body member; As a research consultant to Sarah Stewart he co-director, and curator of The Everlasting Flame: Zoroastrianism in History and Imagination exhibition, SOAS (2013) which was subsequently mounted at the National Museum, New Delhi in 2016. He was a former editor of the Circle of Inner Asian newsletter (2001-05).

Mehrbod Khanizadeh is a research fellow at SOAS, University of London, working on his project concerning the Middle Persian (Pahlavi) version of the Avesta, funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC). Between 2018 and 2022, he worked as a postdoctoral researcher in Avestan studies on the MUYA project. Dr. Khanizadeh initially obtained a doctorate degree in veterinary medicine and an MSc in animal pathology. He then changed his subject to study the languages and religions of Ancient Iran. He was awarded an MA in Ancient Culture and Languages of Iran from Shahid Beheshti University in 2010. Thereafter, he commenced his studies on Zoroastrianism at SOAS and received an MA (2013) and a PhD (2018) in that field.

Armaity Homavazir is a special education teacher, photographer and avid traveller. She is the founder of Spellbound Education and works primarily with students identified with Dyslexia language-based challenges. She holds an M.A./B.Ed. in Child Studies in Education, OISE/UT; Qualified Teacher Status – UK; and is qualified at the Certified level in the Orton-Gillingham Approach. She is currently a consultant for the new Language curriculum with the Ministry of Education - Ontario, Canada.

Kimiya Shahzadi is the Co-Chair of Zoroastrian Youth of North America (ZYNA), a committee of FEZANA, is the social media manager at the North American Mobed Council (NAMC), and is the Youth Chair of the Zoroastrian Association of Michigan (ZAOM). She is currently training under the Zoroastrian Mobed Council of Iran to become a mobedyar and aspires to become a mobed. Kimiya was born and raised in Melbourne, Australia, can speak Persian, and has a black belt in Shotokan Karate. She owns a real estate business and with her masters in clinical behavioral psychology specializing in relationships and publications has founded Love Story LLC with a mission to increase love in the world.

Farzin Avari is the Co-Chair of ZYNA. She has served as the Youth Coordinator at the Atlanta Zarathushti Association and Zoroastrians Stepping Forward where she organized a global service project. She also is an alumnus of the first Return to Roots Program, which she attributes to increased youth involvement across the world. She is an educator and community organizer striving to foster the growth of kind, compassionate, and thoughtful young leaders. As a first-generation Indian-American immigrant, Farzin has focused her efforts on community building within the Zarathushti community, the Indian-American community, as well as her local community in Atlanta, Georgia.

Dr. Karishma Koka is committed to conservation of the Zarathusthi Daena. With her mother Jerou, Karishma co-founded BaHumata, a series promoting respect for Mobeds and increasing awareness of Asho Zarathushtra’s messages. Karishma has also set up various other webinar series’ including ‘The Good Mind – Nurturing, Nature’, ‘The Zoroastrian Legacy’ and ‘Progressing Sustainably Together’. Karishma is the UK Coordinator for the WZCC ZoroastrianFaculty Network and CommunicationsOfficer ZTFE Management Committee. For her Ph.D. (University of Cambridge) and Post-Doctorate (MRC), she studied Neuroscience, Learning and Development. With her mother she co-founded The Ultimate Achievements Academy, focusing on holistic education for excellence and empowerment.

Zuben is a Project Leader at Delivery Associates, which is a global management consultancy that help governments and social impact organizations turn ambitious goals into everyday reality for people all over the world. Zuben was also a past committee member for the Zoroastrian Association of Victoria and was the Vice President for 2 years. Before DA, Zuben was a consultant at IBM, responsible for strategy & driving integration with acquired companies, where his client work allowed him to focus on public and state-owned entities across health, energy, and telecommunication sectors. Prior, working in a not-for-profit focused on impact investing and in State government on multicultural policy. Zuben is nearly finished a masters in law with a concentration in environmental legislation and corporate activism, as he believes tomorrow's problems will not be solved without partnership and alliances. In his free time, Zuben is a black belt in karate, a pianist and loves reading or being out in the world, meeting new people, and getting to try things that taste delicious or scare him.

Jerou Panthaki RamMohan is an alternative medical practitioner, educator, entrepreneur, life-coach, beauty therapist, athlete and researcher. Graduate in nursing, she has served the poor to the rich and has worked honorarily for the good of Health and Holistic-development. As a Learning and Development Mentor and Co-Founder Ultimate Achievements Academy, Jerou catalyses the growth and learning of individuals. She taught the Duke of Edinburgh Award Classes as well as high-school. She has also been a life and general insurance agent/inspector.

Anahita, born and raised in Iran, currently resides in Sacramento, California. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Kinesiology Exercise Science and is pursuing her Doctor of Physical Therapy at California State University Sacramento. Anahita's upbringing in a family actively involved in Zoroastrian associations, such as the Faravahar institution, instilled in her a strong connection to religious activities. As the Vice-chair of operation for the 7th World Zoroastrian Youth Congress, she successfully orchestrated diverse activities and efficiently managed over 50 volunteers. Anahita's commitment extends to her current role as an active member of ZYNA and her involvement with the Sacramento Zoroastrian Association.

Behnaz Nanavatti is currently pursuing career in Law with a Bachelors in Business Administration. She is on the Managing committee of the Zoroastrian Youth Association of Poona and has been the Brand Ambassador for BaHumata since its genesis. She is a committee Member of the Federation of Zoroastrian Youth Associations, whose main objective is to hold youth seminars all over India. She partakes in communal events organised by charitable trust Pune Zarthosty Seva Mandal. She works part time at "The Food Gallery" owned and run by her family and volunteers at the Junior Red Cross Society of Pune.

Ervad Yazad Cyrus Unwalla has been an Ervad since the age of 13 and served the Zoroastrian community in the UK for the past decade. Additionally, he is a teacher of Politics, Economics and Religious Studies and currently Head of Religious Studies at a school in Dulwich, London. He strongly believes in the transformative power of education and that every child should receive a rich and diverse education that will enable them to fulfil their talent and abilities.

Jasmine Dotiwala has over 25 years of experience as a Head of department, manager, broadcaster, producer, director, and columnist at brands like Netflix UK, Media Trust, Channel 4 News, MTV and more. As an award-winning, multi-media reporter and producer as well as a reputed D&I specialist, Jasmine developed the industry lauded, ground-breaking Media Trust multi-media broadcast trainee programme London360 whose (over 400 to date) diverse alumni have since taken up senior positions across TV broadcasters and the creative industries in the UK. As Head of Youth Media at Media Trust Jasmine oversaw various media training programmes with ITV News, BBC Radio London, and vlogging with YouTube London. Jasmine is an active member of the BAFTA voting academy, the Royal Television Society Futures committee, the Edinburgh TV Festival Jury, Board of Directors at Arts Emergency, Board of Directors at music charity ILUVLIVE, a member of the BPI Equity and Justice Advisory Group committee and the MOBO and BET International Voting Academies.

Ava Patel is a freelance Producer currently working on a brand new BBC Two primetime series with Andi Oliver. Ava fell into TV production after appearing on screen as part of a Channel 4 youth unemployment campaign and it is there she worked her way up through the ranks to become an experienced Producer. She's worked across genres, and her slate includes a series of Current affairs docs for BBC One, 24 Hours in A&E, The Undateables plus many more. Ava also directed a short film on the Parsis which has over 20,000 views on YouTube. She is passionate about content and bringing people into the industry regardless of their race and economic background. She believes everyone has a story to tell and that the industry would massively benefit from more Zoroastrians being involved.

Mark Summers is from an Indian Parsi Zoroastrian/ Irish family, in West London UK. As a child, Mark was talent-spotted by agent June Collins (Phil Collins' mum) & he went on to train at The Barbara Speake Stage School. Having worked consistently as a musical child actor, he started his first casting company from his dad's spare room, at age 17. Mark has 1000's casting credits to his name, including film, TV, music, promos, fashion, live tours, dance & Real People projects and worked with some of the world's most creative individuals, from Marc Forster, David LaChappelle, Madonna, Metallica to Michael Jackson Taylor Swift and Ed Sheeran. He became a mentor and Patron of the Royal Academy of Dance Community Outreach Programme in 2012, and was honoured by Sir Paul McCartney at the Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts (LIPA) and made a 'Friend of LIPA', one of the highest honours ever bestowed by the University in 2010. Mark is a regular media commentator on all things casting-related with regular columns online and in print, others. He has also hosted and appeared on many TV channels, including the BBC.

Shreas Pardiwala, based in Mumbai, is a Theatre and Bollywood actor, as well as a Clinical Psychologist. He began acting at the age of 7, performing in his first ever commercial stage show, and has secured two diplomas in this field, one being specifically in method acting. In 2014 he appeared in the Bollywood musical film, ‘Yaariyan’, and then studied for his Psychology degree in Mumbai, working in hospitals and institutions before starting his own private practice. He has married psychology with the field of acting and conducted several psycho-drama workshops in and around the city.

Tanya Hoshi is a Pakistani-Canadian filmmaker based in Toronto, who has built a portfolio of award-winning films, webseries, and advertisements. For the past 9 years, Tanya has focused her career path towards strategic storytelling, landing her a coveted role as the first Head of Brand at Ownr - an RBCx Venture. She is a former Lead Producer at Shopify and has also produced her own independent award winning films and documentaries. Since 2018, Tanya has been the lead coordinator for the Zoroastrian Return to Roots Program. In 2020, Tanya was appointed as the first Chief Social Media Officer for FEZANA. She is currently leading a team of six young Zoroastrians to create engaging content and connect the global Zoroastrian community.

Zeenia Cawasji is a corporate lawyer with five years of experience in an in-house corporate and legal compliance role. Brought up in Karachi, Pakistan, she moved to the UK to obtain degrees in both Psychology and Law, before returning back to Karachi to start her career as a lawyer. Her passion for championing women’s rights developed while studying Psychology at Durham University, and she collaborated closely with university officials, spearheading efforts to forge transparent policies that combat sexual harassment on campus. Her efforts continued when she returned to Pakistan by advocating for diversity and inclusion in the workplace and training professionals on the laws that foster an environment of equality with an emphasis on the protection of victims of workplace harassment.

Shazneen Munshi, having graduated with a Law LLB degree from King’s College London, works as a Policy Adviser to the CEO and Chairman of the Financial Ombudsman Service, an alternative dispute resolution organisation based in London. As Young Zoroastrian President in the UK for five years, together with her YZ Committee, Shazneen has organised a wide range of fun social events and initiatives. Since 2014, Shazneen has also successfully led the Extra Young Zoroastrians (XYZ) Fun Club religious education classes for children. Now as the youngest elected member of the ZTFE Managing Committee, Shazneen aims to represent the voices and interests of the younger generation.

Anisa Ostad is currently a law student residing and attending school in the Washington DC area in the US. She was born in Yazd, Iran, and moved to the United States with her family as a child. She is the Co-Chair of the Zoroastrian Association of Metropolitan Washington Inc (ZAMWI) inaugural Gen Z Committee. She is involved with the Zoroastrian Youth of North America (ZYNA) which inspired her to be further involved with Zoroastrian youth efforts across the globe. Through her passion for recognizing and acknowledging women's experiences in various fields, she was a FEZANA delegate at the NGO Committee on the Status of Women at the United Nations in 2021.

Shirin Mehri, presently employed in higher education, has valuable experience in promoting gender equality, fostering entrepreneurship education, and contributing to community development, in the US, UAE and Pakistan. In addition to her professional work, Shirin actively engages with the community as the youth member representative for the Karachi Zarthoshti Banu Mandal, a women-run community welfare organization that saw its beginnings over a 100 years ago. Beyond her professional and volunteer pursuits, Shirin nurtures a keen interest in mental health wellness, sustainability, and the delightful experience of savoring chocolates from around the world.

Delraaz Bunshah is a Mumbai based musician. Her genres mainly include rock and jazz. She has studied Western vocals at the True School of Music. She has been in musicals such as - The Sound of Music, Sing India Sing and Disney’s Aladdin to name a few. Delraaz along with her band have performed for several events and festivals all over India as well as internationally. She has sung for a number of webseries such as Aarya, Aarya 2 and Made in Heaven. Delraaz has also given her voice for the Hindi Versions of - Frozen 2, Aladdin, Toy Story 4 and Trolls

Alyza Zack is a young classically trained musician living in London and delighted to be performing for the Zoroastrian Youth Congress in July! Currently attending the Guildhall University’s junior program for aspiring musicians, Alyza has performed at various musical events, including at the Royal Albert Hall. Being a music ambassador in her school, Alyza has performed at numerous music competitions and festivals through her piano, violin and opera style singing, winning several accolades. Alyza’s passion for music, cultivated at a very young age, has enabled her to keep up with her performances, alongside with her full time academic education.

Fravash, who’s passionate about growing the Zoroastrian Community has held over 100 events and projects as the Youth Committee chair at the Zoroastrian Society of Ontario for the last 4 years. Graduating with a degree in Business Management - Global Management Major, Fravash seeks to pursue his career as an entrepreneur with Fravi Sauce and whatever else comes his way.

Rishad Mehta, founder and lead producer at ClimateStory Studios, focuses on creating insightful video series and podcasts about climate change, conservation, and sustainability. He's also an accomplished meditation teacher, having reached thousands of individuals globally. Based in West London, Rishad enjoys a balanced life with his wife Benaisha and their Corgi, Gibbs, while continuing to make significant strides in both environmental advocacy and personal wellness.

Ervad Karl Desai was born in Sydney, Australia, into a priestly family and became a mobed when he was 11 years old. He served the Sydney community for over 15 years by performing jashans, navjotes and weddings for all members of the community, teaching children at monthly Sunday School classes, and was lucky enough to meet Pope Benedict XVI in 2008. Karl now resides in London, UK, with his wife Farah and brings his passion for the environment into his career as a sustainability professional in the built environment.

Ervad Jimmy Khushroo Madon moved to the UK from Mumbai for Higher Education in 2010. He has a Masters in Software Engineering from the University of Oxford and works as a Software Engineer, currently on a project with Google, and gives part-time lectures in Software Engineering at various universities in the UK. He was ordained a Zoroastrian priest at the age of 12 and has carried out liturgical ceremonies for the Zoroastrian community across five continents. He is Director of the World Zoroastrian Organisation and the ex-Secretary for the Young Zoroastrians of the UK, and has volunteered as a teacher at the religious educational classes in London for kids and parents for over 10 years. He has presented at the 6th and 7th World Zoroastrian Youth Congresses and been featured on various BBC programmes.

Mahshad Khosraviani was born and raised in Tehran, and her family migrated to Toronto in early 2000s. In Canada she became an active member of both the Irani and Parsi communities teaching Avesta classes and working with children preparing for their Sedrepooshi/Navjote. Mahshad trained and qualified for the ordainment as a Mobedyar under the guidance of Ervad Dr. Jehan Bagli, Ervad Kerman Katrak, and Mobed Firouzgary, and her determination and sincere effort made the participation of women in Zoroastrian priestly activity a reality in 2012. Mahshad is the only Mobedyar in the Zoroastrian History who is recognized both by the Iranian Mobed Council as well as by NAMC (North American Mobed Council) and is the first female Zoroastrian mobedyar in North America and the youngest in Iran. Mahshad is a passionate advocate for equality of men and women in accordance to the Zoroastrian Gathic message. Additionally, she strives to overcome the prejudicial gulf between the ​Irani and Parsi whilst spreading and preserving the original message of Zarathustra. Mahshad is now residing in London UK with her husband, whom she met at the 7WZYC.

Natalie grew up in a mixed heritage household in San Jose, California. On her mother's side, she is the 14th generation born in Canada. On her father's side, she is Parsi. Natalie considers herself lucky to have been brought up experiencing two wonderful cultures. Growing up, Natalie benefited from an accepting Parsi community. She felt that she was valued, and even if she didn't know all the Gujarati words thrown in, she felt at home. She became involved in running youth summer camps, serving on committees, and completing creative fundraising projects. Natalie's main goal in her community is to empower the younger generation to get involved, and to unite the Irani and Parsi Zoroastrian groups. Apart from her community involvement, Natalie works in the field of mental health. In her free time, she enjoys writing music and playing volleyball.

Farah Randelia is a Parsi Zoroastrian based in New Jersey, USA. A lifelong member of ZAGNY (Zoroastrian Association of Greater New York) Farah grew up participating in the Sunday religious school classes and has since returned to help teach these classes. She is also a co-chair of the ZYNA Professional Development committee. The committee aims to help young professionals ranging in age from high-school to post-graduate studies learn more about resume building, interviewing tips and tricks, networking, and more. Farah attended Rutgers University, and double majored in Public Health and Psychology. Since graduating, she is a management consultant by profession, working with major life sciences and pharmaceutical clients.

Anahita Verahami graduated from Cornell University in 2017 with a B.S. in the Interdisciplinary Studies of Biology and Anthropology and is receiving her M.S. in Conservation Biology this summer from the Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology at Colorado State University. She is broadly interested in utilizing passive acoustic monitoring systems to increase our understanding of the complex relationships between anthropogenic disturbances and species’ activities, behaviors, and survival, with a special interest in the application of acoustic monitoring to studying and conserving populations of forest elephants in Central Africa. She also has a strong interest in promoting justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion, and is conducting research on topics related to social and environmental justice in academia and conservation. This advocacy is grounded in her lived experiences as a Zoroastrian woman, as a member and ally of the LGBTQIA+ community, and as a person who is neurodivergent.

Rushad is a seasoned fintech professional who leads data-centric engineering teams. Throughout his career, Rushad has demonstrated exceptional leadership during challenging times, such as mobilizing teams for the UK COVID-19 vaccination program rollout and assisting one of the world's largest sovereign wealth funds in divesting assets during the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Rushad holds a B.S. in Computer Science and an M.S. in Quantitative & Computational Finance from the Georgia Institute of Technology and has been granted two patents in cybersecurity. He has also published a book titled The AI Interviewer: PM Edition. As a third-culture kid, Rushad's upbringing has equipped him to work effectively across multiple geographies. He has lived in 10 different countries, including India, Hong Kong, the Philippines, Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, the USA, UK, Qatar, and the UAE.

Malcolm graduated from Loughborough University with a degree in Business Economics and Finance and has spent 12 years in business consulting. He now specialises in designing and delivering new digital banking propositions for banking clients launching them globally across Argentina, China, USA, India to name a few. He currently works for Deloitte Digital based in London. Having grown up in Leicester (UK) around very few Parsis, he wanted to learn more about the religion and meet more fellow like minded Parsis. After finding out about congresses, he caught the bug…and has since attended congresses across Vancouver, Mumbai, Los Angeles and Auckland (NZ) - an amazing way to learn, network and socialise.

Rozmin Irani earned her Bachelor’s in Kinesiology and Master’s in Occupational Therapy from the University of British Columbia, and currently serves on the provincial Leukemia and Bone Marrow Transplant Program. As an occupational therapist, she shares her knowledge and skills to enable people of all ages to live life to its fullest by helping them promote holistic health, and prevent or live better with injury, illness or disability. Rozmin is also an instructor at Langara College where she teaches about the importance of physical activity, health and wellness. She serves on various committees and leads projects with the Zoroastrian Youth of North America including being a Co-Chair for all Outreach and Communications.

Jehann Daruwalla graduated from the Auckland University of Technology with a bachelor's degree majoring in Occupational Therapy. Whilst studying, Jehann volunteered at a special needs school to support children in growing lifelong social skills. He now works as a registered Occupational Therapist with a wide variety of clinical experience in both mental and physical health settings. When he’s not at the hospital, Jehann engages in a broad range of sports and the performing arts.

Sahm Cooper was born in Bombay, lived in Hong Kong and has been living in Abu Dhabi for 17 years. He currently work sin the special needs department and he is a very involved advocate for disabled people. He has written and spoken all over Dubai and Abu Dhabi for Butterfly regarding employment for the disabled community, and represented Ambassadorship for Purple Tuesday in the UK.

Rushad Zubin Saklatwalla is a recent graduate with first-class honours in BSc Psychology from the University of Bath. He is an aspiring clinical psychologist, currently based in Surrey UK, working for the National Health Service as an assistant psychologist at the community neurorehabilitation service. Working closely with the consultant clinical neuropsychologist, Rushad provides holistic support to those with, often life-altering, neurological conditions. He is actively involved in research on conditions such as multiple sclerosis and functional neurological disorders.

Azita Patel is currently on the Board of Directors at ZANC (Zoroastrian Association of Northern California). She actively organizes events for the community and teaches religion class to the San Jose Bay Area Zoroastrian youth. Azita has battled through busy schedules, burn out, managing her Zoroastrian community responsibilities while also working full time and pursuing her Masters degree. In her Z-Classes she teaches about the importance of meditation, grounding, and using gatha verses to reflect on the daily struggles of life and personal growth.

Once named the fastest girl of India, Ayesha Billimoria represented Maharashtra as a track athlete for 17 years, winning the national 200m sprint finals three times. Beyond an impressive career in athletics, Ayesha has increased her engagement with the public, authoring a book and becoming a motivational speaker. Ayesha is an ardent advocate for sustainability, environment, and gender equality. In 2016 she launched ‘Project Fit Girl’, an initiative to educate children in government schools and girls from low-income communities in Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, and Madhya Pradesh.

Ashdeen Z. Lilaowala is an award-winning textile designer known for contemporising the Parsi Gara embroidery tradition while retaining its essence. Lilaowala studied textile design at the National Institute of Design (NID), Ahmedabad. He traveled across China, Iran and India to immerse himself in the evolution of the Parsi Gara embroidery tradition for a research project carried out for the Ministry of Textiles alongside UNESCO's Parzor Foundation. Since 2005, Lilaowala has been working closely with Dr Shernaz Cama as part of the foundation in New Delhi. In 2013, Lilaowala published ‘Threads of Continuity – The Zoroastrian Craft of Kusti Weaving’. Lilaowala is also an active member of the Delhi Parsi Anjuman. Lilaowala has taught textile and fashion students as a part-time lecturer at the National Institute of Fashion Technology, New Delhi and has written extensively about the Parsi Gara craft in publications such as Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, Elle, Marie Claire and others.

Dr. (Ms.) Rashneh N. Pardiwala is an Ecologist from the University of Edinburgh having specialized during her MSc and PhD in the field of Climate Change. She is the Founder & Director of the Centre for Environmental Research and Education (CERE), a Mumbai-based not-for-profit organization that works to promote environmental sustainability through formal education, government collaborations, corporate partnerships and public awareness campaigns. Rashneh is a pioneer in developing Carbon Management and Environmental Sustainability Systems for corporate India and serves as a CSR consultant to leading companies. She is a Director on the Board of Studies at St. Xavier’s College, Mumbai and has won several awards including one of the youngest ‘Social Entrepreneur for Change’, one of Asia’s 21 Young Leaders by Asia Society and ZONTA Woman of the Year Award 2023.

Nayomi is a qualified and internationally certified yoga teacher based in London. Her journey with yoga began while working in finance, where she experienced burnout and its associated health hazards. Nayomi pursued yoga training and has since spent over seven years studying in India. She has extensive experience teaching yoga classes, wellness retreats, corporate sessions, and yoga therapy in both London and India. Nayomi offers private at-home classes in London and conducts group classes online, making authentic yoga accessible to people worldwide. She specializes in women's health and pre-natal yoga, and is deeply committed to making yoga accessible to everyone.

Melwin Mehta followed his passion of equity investment after completing his B.Eng (Electrical) from VJTI Mumbai. Throughout his 23 year career, he has been an equity analyst and interviewed more than 250 CEOs and Founders, in a diverse range of industries. He analyses businesses with an owner's mindset and believes business is all about people and therefore looks to invest in companies that are led by people he trusts and admires. After working in wealth management, private equity, family office and hedge fund he founded Sterling Investment Management in 2017. Sterling is a London based FCA regulated firm which acquired Sterling Select Companies Fund. The Fund continues its 60-year tradition of investing in high quality UK companies. Melwin has spoken to large audiences at various conferences for investors, companies and family offices and he also regularly speaks to students about investing, personal finance and careers in investing.

Parshan Khosravi is an Iranian-American of Zoroastrian faith who is currently a candidate for the city council in Laguna Hills, California. He has over a decade of experience in education advocacy and currently serves as the California Policy Director for uAspire, a national nonprofit focused on higher education access and economic mobility. A double alum of the University of California, Parshan received his Bachelor’s degree in Political Science and Education Sciences from UC Irvine and his Master’s Degree in Public Policy from UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs. As a devout Zoroastrian, he spends most of his spare time organizing with his faith community at local, national, and global levels. In July 2022, Parshan received the coveted Rising Youth Award at the World Zoroastrian Congress in New York.

Shirin Amani Azari was born in Tehran, raised in Sweden and currently lives in London. Since 2000, she has been working as a psychotherapist with refugee victims of torture and young people experiencing mental health issues. Shirin is also a passionate writer and has two publisehd books, as well as her work recognised in professional international journals. As an experienced lecturer, Shirin has given talks at universities and has also made a number of TV appearances.

Contributor: Leah Rustomjee