Bita Daryabari facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Bita Daryabari
|
|
|---|---|
Bita Daryabari in 2016
|
|
| Born | April 6, 1969 Tehran, Iran
|
| Citizenship | United states |
| Alma mater | California State University, East Bay Golden Gate University |
| Known for | Founding Unique Zan Foundation, Pars Equality Center |
| Spouse(s) |
Reza Malek
(m. 2009; div. 2016)Shahkar Bineshpajooh
(m. 2018) |
Bita Daryabari (Persian: بیتا دریاباری) was born on April 6, 1969, in Tehran, Iran. She is an Iranian-American person who helps others (a philanthropist), a business owner (an entrepreneur), and a computer scientist. She started several groups that help Iranian immigrants and support arts in the United States. Bita Daryabari has given money to many schools for studying Iranian culture and history. These schools include Stanford, Pembroke College, U.C. Davis, and U.C. Berkeley. She even has special teaching positions named after her at U.C. Davis and U.C. Berkeley.
Early Life and Education
Bita Daryabari grew up in Tehran, Iran. Her father was a dentist, and her mother managed their home. She loved reading Persian books, including those by the famous writer Rumi. In 1985, when Iran was going through a war, Bita moved to the United States. She went to high school in St. Joseph, Missouri, where her uncle welcomed her.
Bita Daryabari studied at California State University, East Bay. There, she earned a degree in computer science. She also went to Golden Gate University in San Francisco. She received a master's degree in managing telecommunications.
Career and Helping Others
Bita Daryabari started her career working in engineering at a company called GammaLink. Later, she worked in telecommunications at MCI Communications until 1996.
After that, Bita began to focus on helping others. In 2008, she created the Bita Daryabari Endowment for Persian Literature and Poetry. She gave $2.5 million to start this fund. In the same year, she set up a $6.5 million fund at Stanford for Persian studies.
In 2011, she started a group in California called the Pars Equality Center. This group helps Iranian immigrants living in the United States. In 2015, she opened another center in San Jose. It was called the Daryabadi Iranian Community Center. This center helps people who speak Farsi.
Bita Daryabari has given more money to other projects. In 2013, she gave $2 million for the Shahnama Project at Pembroke College. In 2015, she gave $1.5 million to the University of California, Davis. This gift helped expand their Persian studies program. In 2016, she gave $5 million to UC Berkeley. This money supports the study of Iranian languages, literature, arts, and culture.
Bita Daryabari also founded the Unique Zan Foundation. This group works with schools and organizations that help women in the Middle East. In 2016, UC Berkeley named a special teaching position in Iranian Studies after her.
Awards and Recognition
Bita Daryabari has received many awards for her work. In 2008, she was named Alumni of the Year by Golden Gate University. In 2010, PAAIA called her Philanthropist of the Year. In 2011, she received an award from the United Nations.
Other honors include the Ellis Island Medal of Honor in 2012. In 2015, she was named a World Affairs Council Honoree of the Year. Golden Gate University gave her an honorary doctorate degree in 2018. In 2022, the Carnegie Corporation of New York honored her with their Great Immigrants Award.
Personal Life
Bita Daryabari married Google engineer Omid Kordestani in 1994. They had two children, a daughter named Misha and a son named Milan. Bita and Omid separated in 2007.
In 2009, Bita Daryabari married Reza Malek, who was a surgeon and medical business owner. They divorced in 2016. In 2018, Bita Daryabari married Iranian poet and singer Shahkar Bineshpajooh.
