Azita Ghanizada

'Azita Ghanizada' (qv) was born at some point in between the Iran Revolution and the Soviets invading Afghanistan. Her family fled Afghanistan and landed in the suburbs outside the US Capitol as political asylum seekers. Her childhood wasn't easy. The next several years following their displacement, her family would try their best to assimilate and resettle while working tirelessly on getting their immediate family out of various refugee camps, out of war and hostility and close to them in Northern Virginia. Having learned English on TV, she dreamed of being on television, so after graduating University, she bought a one-way ticket to Hollywood, landing shortly before 9/11 and somehow found her way to becoming one of the first women from Afghanistan to lead a series on television in the US on "Alphas". Crediting only instinct and naivete, Azita has continued to work consistently on film and television, holding her own opposite Academy Award Winners and nominees such as Rachel Weisz, Mahershali Ali. David Strathairn, Sam Shepard, Michael Shannon, Casey Affleck and others. She was named one of the "Seven Sundance Breakout Actresses You Must Know," for her work in "Complete Unknown" (2016). She recently recurred on both HBO's "Ballers," and Freeform's "Good Trouble," and will next be seen in the three feature films, including a small role in "Our Friend," which had its world premiere at TIFF (2019).But it was in 2017 that Azita had one of her greatest achievements, after two years of lobbying and studying the census, the contracts the diversity MOUs, Azita helped build the MENA category into the SAG-AFTRA theatrical contracts. Launching a new diversity category into Hollywood and beyond for the first time in 37 years. She went on to launch MENA Arts Advocacy and presented the first ever study showing the bleak representation for MENA performers on television. Her cultural makeup and turbulent upbringing has turned her into a fierce advocate for her diaspora, she actively speaks out on representation and inclusion issues in the media, in business environments, industry panels, and most recently gave her first TEDxTalk. She has also proudly served as a Global Ambassador for Womenforwomen.org, to create attention on Women's issues in the world's most war torn regions, and is a Tribeca Disruptor Innovation 'Awards' (qv) Fellow.::Anonymous