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IRSA at UCF presents

Iranian-American
Pioneers Summit

A two-day national gathering celebrating the legacy and rising voices of Iranian-Americans across science, art, business, and culture. Celebrating Iranian-American Excellence.

October 23–24, 2026Plug and Play Tech Center · Sunnyvale, California
Register nowMeet the speakers
Doors open in
IAP 2026 Summit — official poster
Official summit poster · iapsummit.org
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Dr. Reza Abdolvand
Dr. Reza Abdolvand· 3rd+
Professor & Chair, Electrical & Computer Engineering · University of Central Florida
Posted this · 🌐

Iranian Americans have quietly shaped American medicine, science, engineering, business, and culture for decades. University professors and leaders, surgeons-in-chief, founders, scientists, artists — the list is long, and most people outside our community don’t even realize it. What’s been missing is an organized effort to actually name that contribution and celebrate it, and to make sure it doesn’t stay invisible. That’s exactly what the Iranian-American Pioneers (IAP) Summit is set out to do.

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Why IRSA is amplifying this

A rare chance to see Iranian-American excellence named, gathered, and honored.

Dr. Abdolvand, as UCF’s Electrical & Computer Engineering Chair, is helping this summit be seen. As the Iranian Student Association at UCF, we’re amplifying his call.

UCF is a participating organization. As the Iranian Student Association at UCF, we’re proud to point our community toward it — students, alumni, and families alike.

The Pioneers · honorees

Eight awards. Lifetimes of impact.

The summit honors pioneers whose work reshaped their fields — celebrated across both days with awards and fireside chats.

Maryam Mirzakhani Honorary Pioneer
Maryam MirzakhaniFields Medalist (2014) — the first woman ever to win mathematics’ highest honor. Honored in memoriam.
Shohreh Aghdashloo Pioneer in Art
Shohreh AghdashlooAcademy Award–nominated, Emmy-winning actress whose voice and presence reshaped how the screen sees Iranians.
Nader Engheta Pioneer in Engineering
Nader EnghetaH. Nedwill Ramsey Professor at the University of Pennsylvania; a founder of the field of metamaterials and optical computing.
Cumrun Vafa Pioneer in Science
Cumrun VafaTimken Professor of Physics at Harvard University; a leading mind in string theory and theoretical physics.
Mohsen Mostafavi Pioneer in Academic Leadership
Mohsen MostafaviArchitect, educator, and former Dean of the Harvard Graduate School of Design.
On stage

Speakers & voices

Founders, scientists, artists, and storytellers — plus the honorees above, who also take the stage.

Ali Parsa
Ali ParsaCEO & Healthcare Entrepreneur, Babylon HealthDay 1 Keynote
Saeed Amidi
Saeed AmidiFounder & CEO, Plug and Play Tech CenterVisionary Speaker
Firoozeh Dumas
Firoozeh DumasNew York Times Bestselling AuthorVisionary Speaker
Maryam Rofougaran
Maryam RofougaranFounder & CEO, MovandiVisionary Speaker
Nima Behnoud
Nima BehnoudFounder & Creative Director, NIMANYVisionary Speaker
Ramin Hasani
Ramin HasaniFounder & CEO, Liquid AITech Diaspora Panel · Rising Star
Martin Basiri
Martin BasiriFounder & CEO, PassageTech Diaspora Panel · Rising Star
Christopher Borzu Behnam
Christopher Borzu BehnamUnited Airlines Pilot, Author & SpeakerResilience & Success
Nazy Kaviani
Nazy KavianiFounder & Director, Diaspora Arts ConnectionBroader Impact Initiatives
Mehrdad Ariannejad
Mehrdad AriannejadCEO, TirganBroader Impact Initiatives
Anousha
AnoushaActor · Founder · Speaker · CreatorStereotypes Panel · Rising Star
Tehran Von Ghasri
Tehran Von GhasriComedianStereotypes Panel · Dinner Host
Erfan Paydar
Erfan PaydarRapper, Songwriter & ProducerStereotypes Panel
Sarv Naderzadeh
Sarv NaderzadehFounder & CEO, UnitedSalesYoung Entrepreneurs
Leila Modarres
Leila ModarresFounder, LMarketing GroupYoung Entrepreneurs
Farhad Taghibakhsh
Farhad TaghibakhshFounder & CEO, UnephraYoung Entrepreneurs
Mohsen Asad
Mohsen AsadSenior Director, Core Technology, CredoYoung Entrepreneurs

More speakers & special guests announced in the months ahead

Two days

The program

Day 1Friday, October 23
  1. 7:00 – 8:30 AMRegistration & Breakfast
  2. 8:30 – 8:45 AMOpening RemarksIAP Summit Chairs
  3. 8:45 – 9:15 AMKeynote AddressAli Parsa
  4. 9:15 – 10:15 AMAwards 1 & 2 + Fireside ChatsHonoring Maryam Mirzakhani · and a pioneer to be announced
  5. 10:15 – 11:00 AMBreak & Networking
  6. 11:00 AM – 12:00 PMResilience & SuccessAli Parsa · Captain Christopher Behnam
  7. 12:00 – 1:00 PMNetworking Lunch
  8. 1:00 – 2:00 PMAwards 3 & 4 + Fireside ChatsHonoring Shohreh Aghdashloo · and a pioneer to be announced
  9. 2:00 – 3:00 PMBroader Impact InitiativesNazy Kaviani · Mehrdad Ariannejad
  10. 3:00 – 3:30 PMBreak & Networking
  11. 3:30 – 4:30 PMPanel — Enduring Stereotypes About IraniansHost: Jian Ghomeshi · with Erfan Paydar, Tehran Von Ghasri, Anousha
  12. 4:30 – 5:30 PMVisionary SpeakersFiroozeh Dumas · Maryam Rofougaran
  13. 6:00 – 9:00 PMNetworking Dinner & Social HourHosted by Tehran Von Ghasri
Day 2Saturday, October 24
  1. 7:00 – 8:30 AMRegistration & Breakfast
  2. 8:30 – 8:45 AMOpening RemarksIAP Summit Chairs
  3. 8:45 – 9:15 AMKeynote AddressTo be announced
  4. 9:15 – 10:15 AMAwards 5 & 6 + Fireside ChatsHonoring Nader Engheta · Cumrun Vafa
  5. 10:15 – 11:00 AMBreak & Networking
  6. 11:00 AM – 12:00 PMStories of Young EntrepreneursSarv Naderzadeh · Leila Modarres · Farhad Taghibakhsh · Mohsen Asad
  7. 12:00 – 1:00 PMNetworking Lunch
  8. 1:00 – 2:00 PMAwards 7 & 8 + Fireside ChatsHonoring Mohsen Mostafavi · and a pioneer to be announced
  9. 2:00 – 3:00 PMVisionary SpeakersSaeed Amidi · Nima Behnoud
  10. 3:00 – 3:30 PMBreak & Networking
  11. 3:30 – 4:30 PMPanel — How Can Iranians in Tech Unite the Diaspora?Host: Jian Ghomeshi · with Ramin Hasani, Martin Basiri, Kooshiar Azimian
  12. 4:30 – 5:30 PMRising StarsMartin Basiri · Ramin Hasani · Anousha
  13. 5:30 – 6:00 PMNetworking & Concluding RemarksMark Tehranipoor

Schedule shown in Pacific Time · subject to change by the organizers

Where

Plug and Play Tech Center

440 N. Wolfe Rd, Sunnyvale, CA 94085

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Heart of Silicon Valley — the home of Plug and Play, where some of the world’s most ambitious startups got their start.

Where to stay
  • Hilton Garden Inn Sunnyvale767 N Mathilda Ave · ~3 min from the venue
  • TETRA Hotel, Autograph Collection400 W Java Dr · ~5 min from the venue
  • Treehouse Hotel Silicon Valley1100 N Mathilda Ave · ~5 min from the venue
  • Homewood Suites by Hilton Sunnyvale830 E El Camino Real · ~10 min from the venue
Be in the room

Reserve your seat

Student

Currently enrolled students only — valid student ID or enrollment letter required.

Early Registration

The best rate — while early seats last.

Regular

Standard admission to both days.

Late

Final-window registration as the summit approaches.

All ticket sales are final and non-refundable.Tickets may be transferred up to October 1st.Student tickets may only be transferred to another eligible student.
What’s included
  • Day 1 — Breakfast, Lunch & the Networking Dinner
  • Day 2 — Breakfast & Lunch
  • Two days of keynotes, awards, panels & fireside chats
  • Networking across generations of Iranian-American leaders
Register at iapsummit.org
Participating organizations
University of Florida
Plug and Play
Roqe Media
University of Michigan
University of Central Florida
UC San Diego
Caspia Technologies
New Jersey Institute of Technology
UC Davis
Samsung
University of Arizona
Stevens Institute of Technology
UC Riverside
HelloFresh
UCLA
Florida Atlantic University

Universities & partners taking part — UCF among them

Brought to you by IRSA at UCF
iapsummit.org [email protected]

IRSA at UCF is proud to amplify this national event. The Iranian-American Pioneers Summit is organized independently by IAP; registration, tickets, and the program are managed on the official summit site.

All IRSA events