I was born on a rainy April morning in the American Midwest to Circassian-Syrian immigrant parents. Later settling on the East Coast, I spent my early childhood exploring the woods of the nation’s lush-green capital before moving to the contrasting desert-island city of Abu Dhabi at the age of 9. I grew up witnessing the rapid emergence of the Emirates’ ultra-modern cities, juxtaposed by the rich historical Levantine culture of my family’s hometown Damascus where we spent our summers growing up. I currently live with my husband in our adopted city of Istanbul, on the very edge of Europe, overlooking Asia from our window. The opportunity to live, study, and work in different places shaped my identity as a third-culture kid constantly on the lookout for the next voyage.

An unwavering passion for promoting creativity and contributing to social welfare drives both my personal and professional aspirations. I boast over a decade of experience in various creative industries and a plethora of unique skills owed to wearing many hats throughout exciting roles in media strategy and production, public affairs, journalism, marketing, strategic communications, and more. Over the course of my career, I served in arenas I am passionate about, including environmental and climate advocacy, science and technology, and youth development and education. When I’m not working, I’m usually engrossed in one of many pastimes that include but are not limited to art and design, music, cinema, and photography. I’m an avid traveler, reader, foodie, and nature/animal lover, a part-time ceramic artist, and an aspiring author and filmmaker.