Bita Daryabari facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Bita Daryabari
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Bita Daryabari in 2016
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| Born | April 6, 1969 Tehran, Iran
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| Citizenship | United states |
| Alma mater | California State University 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 woman who is a philanthropist, an entrepreneur, and a computer scientist. She has started many groups that help Iranian immigrants and support arts in the United States. Bita Daryabari has also given money to universities like Stanford, Pembroke College, U.C. Davis, and U.C. Berkeley. This money helps them study Iranian culture and language. She even has special teaching positions named after her at U.C. Davis and U.C. Berkeley.
Early Life and School
Bita Daryabari grew up in Tehran, Iran. Her father was a dentist, and her mother was a housewife. She loved reading Persian books, especially those by the famous poet Rumi. In 1985, when Iran was in a war, Bita moved to the United States. She went to high school in St. Joseph, Missouri, where she lived with her uncle.
After high school, Bita went to California State University. There, she earned a degree in computer science. Later, she studied at Golden Gate University in San Francisco. She received a master's degree in telecommunications management.
Career and Helping Others
Bita Daryabari started her career as an engineer at a company called GammaLink. Then, 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 this fund. In the same year, she gave $6.5 million to Stanford University. This money helped create a special fund for Persian studies there.
In 2011, Bita started a group in California called the Pars Equality Center. This organization helps Iranian immigrants who live in the United States. In 2015, she opened another branch in San Jose. It is called the Daryabadi Iranian Community Center. This center helps even more Farsi-speaking people.
Bita 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 to 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, Golden Gate University named her their Alumni of the Year. In 2010, she was named Philanthropist of the Year by PAAIA. In 2011, she received the United Nations Appreciation Award.
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, she was honored with the Great Immigrants Award by the Carnegie Corporation of New York.
Personal Life
Bita Daryabari has been married three times. She married Google engineer Omid Kordestani in 1994. They had two children, a daughter named Misha and a son named Milan. They divorced in 2007. In 2009, Bita married Reza Malek, who was a surgeon. They divorced in 2016. In 2018, Bita Daryabari married Shahkar Bineshpajooh, an Iranian poet and singer.
