On February 27th, Paros Foundation Chairman Roger Strauch, and Executive Director Peter Abajian joined the teachers, staff, children, family and friends of the Ghoghanj Children’s Center to celebrate the opening of their new location.
The Center is well located in a newly renovated space, provided to Ghoghanj rent-free by The Paros Foundation, at Moskovyan 38, Apt. 2, in downtown Yerevan.

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Venture capitalist Roger Strauch discusses Armenia

Roger Strauch is a first generation American who resides with his family in the Bay Area. He is a successful venture capitalist and chairperson of The Roda Group, which works primarily with cutting-edge high-tech firms. He has built and run several public companies and he has co-founded private companies that have been sold to industry leaders, including HP and Logitech. He is a well-known philanthropist who generously supports education and arts programs in the United States and Armenia. So, why does Mr. Strauch have a passion for things Armenian and why does he frequently travel to Armenia?

The Armenian Reporter had an opportunity to interview Roger Strauch recently.

The Strauch Kulhanjian Family during a visit to the historic Monastery Complex at Datev. Pictured left to right: Nairi, Paul, Alex, Roger and Julie.

AR: Roger, could you please tell our readers about your background and how you became a venture capitalist.

RS: Growing up, my family lived in Massachusetts and I successfully launched my first company while in high school. My company employed a team of technicians that provided services to the R & D departments of high-tech Route 128 businesses. I attended Cornell University for my undergraduate degree in electrical engineering and Stanford University for my master’s degree in electrical engineering. I very much enjoy developing an idea into a successful business model, and with the technology in the world changing so rapidly, I focused on the high-growth market of telecommunications. I co-founded a company that I ran for 14 years and when I retired from that venture, I wanted to do for others what my original investors did for me – create an environment that would attract and support the success of ambitious, hardworking entrepreneurs with clever ideas that could solve big problems in enormous markets.

AR: As a venture capitalist, how do you work with a company and what have been some of your successes?

RS: Generally speaking, we are a business-incubator type venture capitalist. We put up the initial funds to validate an idea in the form of a business. The Roda Group, a company that I formed with my college buddy, Dan Miller, not only invests financial resources into companies that we see as having a potential for growth, but also invests the human resources of management and mentorship. Dan and I currently sit on the boards of only 5 or 6 companies. In addition, we have successfully launched a few companies of our own, including PolyServe, which we recently sold to HP. The Roda Group launched Ask Jeeves, now Ask.com, which was sold to Barry Diller’s IAC and more recently, we were actively involved with SightSpeed, a voice and video IP conferencing on line service provider that we sold to Logitech late last year.

AR: In February, you were in Armenia at the launch of iCON Communications (www.icon.am), a new internet service provider in Yerevan. Can you tell us about your involvement with iCON?

RS: Several years ago, I was in Armenia with my good friend, Adam Kablanian. I told Adam of my vision to create inexpensive, reliable, and fast broadband Internet access in Yerevan, with the idea that if it we were successful, we could create the business model for providing this type of service to other developing countries or areas. Two years ago, we formed a small partnership and with Adam at the helm, launched iCON Communications. Our infrastructure is built upon a state-of-the-art network utilizing WiMax technology – which is more advanced than what is offered in the U.S. We successfully attracted additional investors from abroad, who enabled us to build the infrastructure in the Yerevan and then launch our service in Yerevan in February. Our customer base is growing rapidly. Customers can pay as little as 8,000 AMD or about $21 per month for unlimited, wireless Internet that is about five times faster than the dial up that is available on the market currently. Our wireless technology works well because it allows users with laptops to use the service in multiply locations using a small USB stick. We seem to have a prestige thing going at the moment with people demanding mobile, broadband Internet. We even have designed packages for visitors to Armenia to be able to purchase equipment and simply pay for the usage while they are in Armenia.

AR: : So do you consider iCON a successful business?

RS: Nope and Yup. We are not profitable yet. Our investors are investing in growth and in the future of the country’s need for more accessible and faster Internet access. And that is expensive – and let’s face it – a bit risky. However, we were able to enter the Armenian market as foreigners, work with the government to address a critical need that will help businesses, the government, and the population connect with the rest of the world. We have created are more than 50 professional jobs and have plans to increase that number to 80 by year’s end. And finally, we were able to have a dream, launch a high-tech company, and attract both foreign talent and foreign resources from well known industry leaders in the field of telecommunication to Armenia in only several years.

AR: iCON sounds like a business that would work in many different cities around the world. So why did you pick Armenia as a launch point? What is your connection to Armenia?

RS: My connection to Armenia started when I was 14 years old. My father, Karl Strauch, was the Chairman of the Physics Department at Harvard University and involved in collaborative scientific exchanges with the top laboratories in the Soviet Union. My father was working with Soviet scientists on accelerator technology and research in the late 60s and early 70s. In 1970, my father, at the invitation of the famous Armenian physists Artem and Alik Alikhanyan, brought our family to Armenia. As a teenager, I was impressed with the people with whom my father worked and became and remain friends with several of them, including, Tina Asatiani, a Georgian physicist and Academy member who spent the majority of her life working in Armenia and was one of the most honored female physists in the Soviet Union.

The Strauch family in 1970 during a visit to Armenia. Pictured at the table is Dr. Artem Alikhanian at the head. His wife Marina, my mother Maria, and two colleagues to his right. Roger Strauch (Age 14) and his brother Hans (Age 13) to his left.

When I was at Stanford working on my masters, I met and fell in love with Julie Kulhanjian, an Armenian-American girl from Detroit who was pre-med. She was impressed that I had been to Armenia! After Julie completed medical school in Michigan, we married. We have three teenage children, all of whom have been to Armenia multiple times and have worked on many Armenian-related projects. Our family is a member of St. Vartan’s Armenian Church in Oakland, Calif. In addition, we are active in the Armenian-American community in the Bay Area and nationally.

AR: What are some of the organizations you and your family support through your philanthropy?

RS: Julie and I believe it is important to set a strong example for not only our children, but for the community. We are involved with Cornell University and UC Berkeley, where I serve on engineering oversight committees, the Berkeley Repertory Theatre, where I have served as president, and we helped establish the UC Berkeley Armenian Studies Program. In addition, Julie and I supported and played an active role producing San Francisco Opera’s performance of the Arshak II, eight years ago. We are life members of the Armenian Assembly of America and support many smaller and impressive Armenian organizations. In 2006, our family created the Paros Foundation (www.paros-foundation.org) and we became its organizational sponsor.

AR: What does the Paros Foundation do?

RS: The Paros Foundation works with six organizations in Armenia involving the arts, children and people with disabilities. Our executive director, Peter Abajian, and I have identified organizations that we feel serve as leaders in their respective fields. Our support comes in the form of organizational operating funds, office space and operational resources and mentoring. Our goal is help these modest size projects manage their growth and attract more financial, human, and physical resources to their respective causes. Furthermore, we have built a staff of travelling and in-country resources that other philanthropists or philanthropic institutions may choose to utilize to support their efforts to improve the quality of life and culture in Armenia.

AR: What organizations does the Paros Foundation work with in Armenia and how can people learn more about getting involved?

RS: We focus on improving the opportunities for at risk kids on the streets, economically disadvantaged kids, talented artists and disabled people to be effective contributors and to fully express themselves in a the country they all love so much. The programs we support currently are the Paros Chamber Choir (www.paros.am), Unison NGO (www.unison.am), Manana Youth Center (www.mananayouth.org), Ghoghanj Children’s Center (www.childrenscenter.am), the Vanadzor Music School #3 (www.vanadzormusic.org) and the Vanadzor Museum of Fine Arts (www.vanart.org).

People and organizations that are interested in implementing their projects via the Paros Foundation or donating can contact us through our website (www.paros-foundation.org) .

AR: Thank you Roger. We wish you continued success in your many endeavors.
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The Paros Chamber Choir Tours Artsakh

This October was remarkable in the rich history of the Paros Chamber Choir. The Choir, with support from the Ministry of Culture of Armenia, Ministry of Culture of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic and the Paros Foundation, held its first concert tour in Artsakh.

In Gandzasar, Paros was warmly welcomed by the local residents and the Priest. After a joint prayer, the choir performed several spiritual songs from its rich repertoire. The official part of the concert tour was started by a performance in St. Ghazanchetsots Church, Shoushi, where the choir performed a capella a dozen songs.

‘The mountains, green forests and our echoed songs at churches enriched our souls with beauty and joy,” says Raffi Mikaelean, Artistic Director and Condutor of Paros.

The final event of the tour was a concert at the Culture Palace in Stepanakert. This performance was also very successful. Although the Paros Concert lasted for almost two hours, the audience which included dozens of music fans, patients of the Lady Cox Rehabilitation Center, officials, and foreign guests, still demanded, “Encore, encore!”

“It is so important that the Ministry of Culture appreciates our choir,” says Armen Alaverdyan, Managing Director of Paros. “We were delighted to visit Artsakh and performed there. The choir members are looking forward to new opportunities to perform in this part of our Homeland.”

The Paros Chamber Choir performs for Daniel Pearl World Music Days

On 26 October 2009, the Paros Chamber Choir performed at the Naregatsi Art Institute in Yerevan as part of the Daniel Pearl World Music Days. The US Ambassador in Armenia, Marie L. Yovanovitch attended the event and offered her remarks. The program included songs by Komitas, E.Hovhannisian, T.Mansurian, H.Odabashian, K.Zakarian, I.Stravinsky, D.Bortnyansky, G.Faure, and L.Spevacek. The audience was truly inspired by the highly professional and emotional performance of Paros.

This concert organized by the U.S. Embassy in Armenia and the Naregatsi Art Institute was part of Daniel Pearl World Music Days, an annual global event affirming the ideals of tolerance, friendship and our shared humanity. World Music Days is inspired by the life and work of journalist and musician Daniel Pearl, who would have celebrated his birthday on October 10th. Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl was kidnapped and murdered in Pakistan in 2002.

Paros, the award-winning Armenian choir mostly consisting of disabled singers, joined people around the world in a tribute to all the visionary men and women who use the power of music to lift peoples of different backgrounds and beliefs above the differences that set us apart. Through their music, the Paros singers reaffirm their conviction that humanity will triumph and harmony will prevail.

Armenians Rise to Victory in
Adobe Youth Voices International Photo Competition

In May 2009, Adobe Youth Voices, a global youth media initiative, in collaboration with WKCD (What Kids Can Do), asked youth worldwide to submit pairs of photographs that capture what is challenging and what gives hope in the world today – from their unique perspective.

Learning of the Photo Competition by Adobe, several students from Manana Youth Center submitted their photographs for consideration along with hundreds of other entries from around the world.

In September, the winners of round one of the Competition were announced and Hovnan Baghdasaryan, 13, a student of Manana Youth Center was selected as one of the ten winners.

 

My brother Moushegh was always a role model for me. When he was only 14, he won an award in the Photoshare competition and I thought I would never be able to achieve that too. I am 14 now, and my photos were selected as winners, too! I feel very proud.
	Everything for Sale  Because of the financial crisis, all the factories in Nor Hajn are closed, and people sell all their property to get money for living. All these papers are announcements about selling something: apartments, houses, garages, furniture, etc.    Dignity Little Davit, who lives in the same town, does not want to sell his toy car and dreams of owning a big, real car one day.

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Interestingly, half way around the world in Tasmania, Australia, 17 year old Katherine Goudsouzian, also of Armenian heritage was also notified that she too was selected as a winner in the Competition. 

I am proud to say that I am of Armenian descent and I did notice one of my fellow winners was from Armenia. I thought was really wonderful that Armenia was represented! It is really lovely to be able to contribute to the representation of Armenia and the arts.
Streets of Saigon This photo was taken in Saigon, Vietnam while on a family holiday. I was on the second floor balcony of a bakery called Tous Les Joiurs at the time, after a long day of sightseeing. I took this photograph through the large mass of messy telephone wires that were outside the building and down onto the busy traffic of Saigon. The atmosphere at the moment I took the picture was breathtaking, the roar of the chaotic traffic below and the beeping of horns, but looking past all this you could see the poverty on the streets, the beggars in the gutter. The streets of Saigon are a place of poverty and lack of opportunity.
Two for a Dollar I took this photo just outside the Siem Reap, Cambodia. I was in an ancient temple with my family at the time when I heard footsteps and a little voice behind me saying two for a dollar, miss, wooden flutes, two for a dollar. I turned to see a very pretty, young local girl holding several cased wooden flutes in her hand and a bag full of them over her arm. She told me how she goes to school in the morning and then comes to the temples in the afternoon to sell flutes to the tourists. I bought two of the flutes.

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The photos of 8 other young photojournalists from the Manana Youth Center were commended in the Competition through a special category that recognized outstanding single photos.

Many of the photos that the students selected to enter into the competition were taken in the city of Nor Hajin as part of a Bay Area Friends of Armenia (BAFA) funded project to engage the children of Nor Hajin in after school activities through multimedia. The Manana Youth Center conducted a workshop with support from BAFA and paired students from the Manana Youth Center with students living in Nor Hajin. Each team took photos of the town and residents of Nor Hajin. Together they were able to tell the story of life in Nor Hajin through their individual perspectives, Said Ruzan Baghdasaryan, Executive Director of the Manana Youth Center.

Congratulations to all the winners and especially to the Manana Youth Center and to the Bay Area Friends of Armenia. This collaboration and delightful outcome is exactly the kind of outcome we promote through our efforts with outstanding NGOs in Armenia.  Said Peter Abajian, Executive Director of the Paros Foundation, a Principle Sponsor of the Manana Youth Center. 

To contribute to the Manana Youth Center, or for more information, please visit their website at www.MananaYouthCenter.org.

Winning photos Hovnan Baghdasaryan Katherine Goudsouzian

Commended photos Arpen Chichakyan, 15 Lusine Hambardzumyan, 12 Eva Hakhverdyan, 14 Narek Javadyan, 17 Lilit Karapetyan, 16 Kristine Sargsyan, 14 Tsovinar Talyan, 18 Lili Zakaryan, 15

Orange Armenia Implements Equal Opportunity HR Policy

Armenia’s third mobile operator, Orange Armenia, has entered the mobile market and plans to launch service by year’s end. France Telecom, parent company of Orange Armenia, has adopted an equal opportunities HR policy, which prevents discrimination on the grounds of disability. Their policy was reinforced during a visit of Orange Armenia CEO Bruno Duthoit to Unison. Mr. Duthoit familiarized himself with the rich database of disabled job seekers registered at Unison, welcomed our initiative and pledged that persons with disabilities will be hired by Orange Armenia.

Following up on this promise, the HR Department of Orange Armenia considered approximately 35 applicants submitted by working with the Unison database. Three young people with disabilities were hired and have signed labor contracts with Orange.

The Unison team wishes both Orange Armenia and their newest employees a very successful relationship. We hope other employable people with disabilities are inspired by this success story and are encouraged to continue their efforts to seek employment.

Orange Armenia now joins a growing list of companies in Armenia that are adding employees with disabilities to their workforce.

The Paros Chamber Choir performed their first public concert under the direction of Maestro Raffi Mikaelian

Yerevan, Armenia, On July 18, 2009 the Paros Chamber Choir performed their first public concert under the direction of Maestro Raffi Mikaelian. The Concert featured the Choir’s new repertoire of “Songs for Summer” featuring songs from composers Komitas, E. Hovhannisyan, K. Zakaryan, T. Mansuryan, H. Odabashyan, I.Stravinsky, G. Faure and L. Spivacek.

“I am very pleased with the progress that the Choir has made in the relatively short period of time that we have been working together.” Said Maestro Raffi Mikaelian, “In five months of rehearsals, the Choir has made tremendous progress and I look forward to our next concert.”

The Choir performed to a full house at the Ghomidas Chamber Music Hall. U.S. Ambassador Marie Yovanovitch, and diplomats from the European Union and the Embassy of Iran attended the Concert at the invitation of organizer and Principle Sponsor, The Paros Foundation.

“The Concert tonight was a solid step forward in the evolution of the Paros Chamber Choir. It is impressive that the Choir performed 17 new songs as part of its program tonight.” Said Peter Abajian, Executive Director of The Paros Foundation, “The Paros Chamber Choir continues to serve as an inspiration to people around the world and as a shining star for Armenia and we are proud to be supporting their work.”

MUSEUM GIFT SHOP OPENS IN VANADZOR
Proceeds to benefit Vanadzor Museum and local artists

Vanadzor, Armenia – On Friday, July 3, the Vanadzor Museum of Fine Arts (www.vanart.org) hosted the opening of their new Museum Gift Shop. The Gift Shop was dedicated in the memory of Angela and Karekin Barsoumian (Allepo – Los Angeles) by their families and friends, who travelled to attend the ceremony from the United States and Lebanon.

“My mother and father had a strong passion for Armenian arts and would be very proud to know that thanks to the support of their family and friends, we were able to create a venue for Artists in the Lori Region to sell their art work and support their families. I am so pleased that the proceeds from this store will solely benefit the Museum and the artists.” Said Houry Barsoumian Abajian.

Following the short opening ceremony, students from Music School #3 in Vanadzor performed a short concert at the Museum featuring students playing traditional instruments and dancing.

“Today’s opening is of great benefit to the Lori Region, Vanadzor and our Museum,” said Papag Aloyan, Director of the Vanadzor Museum of Fine Arts. “Both tourists and our local visitors now have the opportunity to purchase local arts and crafts. We are very grateful to the Paros Foundation and to the family and friends of Angela and Karekin Barsoumian who made this all possible.”

The Paros Foundation (www.paros-foundation.org) coordinated the project with the Museum and the family to facilitate and oversee the construction and opening of the Gift Shop. The Gift Shop will serve many purposes including supporting the local economy by promoting tourism in the Lori Region, providing local artisans and artists an additional venue to promote sales of their artwork and crafts, and supporting the Museum itself.

“I would like to thank the Mayor’s office, the Museum and its staff and the family and friends of Angela and Karekin Barsoumian for supporting this project.” Said, Peter Abajian, Executive Director of the Paros Foundation. “The addition of the Museum Gift Shop here at the Vanadzor Museum is another step towards our overall goal of attracting visitors to Vanadzor and the Lori Region. I am very pleased that we successfully implemented a project such as this and I am hopeful other families will see the value and benefit of such an effort and consider The Paros Foundation as the conduit to implement their own project in Hayastan.”

The Paros Foundation (www.paros-foundation.org) is a Berkeley-based private 501(c)3 foundation. The Paros Foundation has identified and works with six organizations in Armenia involving the arts, children and people with disabilities, which serve as leaders within their respective fields. Foundation support comes in the form of organizational funds, quality office space and operational mentoring. The goal of the Foundation is to invest in these organizations to help them attract other partners and sponsors for their important and innovative work. The Foundation provides families and individuals with a cost-effective and easy way of implementing their own small projects in Armenia via the Foundation and its presence in Armenia.

Photo Caption: (pictured left to right) Family members Bearj Barsoumian, Jacqueline Gurgenian, Hratch Hagopian, Houry Abajian and Museum Director Papag Aloyan cut the ribbon to the new Vanadzor Museum Gift Shop at the opening ceremony on July 3, 2009.

UNISON NGO LAUNCHES NEW WEBSITE

Unison, the leading non-governmental organization in Armenia, which advocates for the rights of people with disabilities, is pleased to announce the launch of its new bilingual website www.unison.am.

Our new website will serve as a tremendous resource for not only people with disabilities, but also international organizations, prospective donors and anyone who would like to learn more about our organization, available resources for or the issues facing people with disabilities in Armenia, said Armen Alaverdyan, Executive Director of Unison.  Our new website’s functionality allows visitors to download most of the publications and videos produced by Unison free of charge. Our photo gallery illustrates the success of our many projects and achievements from 2003 until today. In addition, the disability related resources section provides valuable information on many important issues including: Accessibility, Education, Employment, Rehabilitation, Laws and others.

The website redesign and build was made possible through a grant from The Paros Foundation. The website was designed and built through a collaborative effort by the capable team of Lilit Khudoyan and Sevan Amirians.

Bringing Unison’s valuable message and resources to people throughout the world via this website and the internet was an attractive investment for the Paros Foundation. I am certain that the visitors to this site, both disabled and not, will appreciate Unison’s capable and important work, said Peter Abajian, Executive Director of The Paros Foundation.  Our hope is that Unison’s website will serve as a gateway and catalyst to attract other project sponsors and resources.

Founded in 2002, Unison has aggressively worked to improve the lives of people with disabilities. As the first and most effective non-profit organization of its kind in Armenia, Unison helps protect, advocate for, and shape the rights of people with disabilities. Beginning in 2006, The Paros Foundation has supported the work of Unison through annual grants. In addition, as part of its philanthropic model, The Paros Foundation provides quality office space rent-free to Unison. The Paros Foundation is also the Principal Organizational Sponsor of the Paros Chamber Choir, a project of the Unison, NGO.

Please visit Unison’s new site at www.unison.am and tell us what you think!

Concert dedicated to commemoration of Armenian Genocide

Yerevan, Armenia—On April 24, 2009 at 7 p.m., the Paros Chamber Choir will perform three songs at a Concert dedicated to commemoration of Armenian Genocide, and organized by the Naregatsi Art Institute.

The Concert will take place at Naregatsi Art Institute which is located at: Vardanants Street 16/1, Yerevan, Armenia. The Paros Chamber Choir will close the event with three songs – Hayastan by Edgar Hovhannisian, Asatsvats Hor Hamar by Tigran Mansurian and Garoon by Komitas. The concert is open to public and admission is free.