About Us
In every immigrant’s journey, there are different phases. The initial phase is the tumultuous journey out of danger and to the first leg of safety. Often this first leg, which is either a neighboring nation or the first port of respite, be it through air or sea, ends up being their ultimate destination. In other instances it is just a step to their final destination.
Once they reach their final destination, the next struggle is finding shelter and the means to feed themselves and their family. In this phase, the displaced person often gives up their dreams of becoming a doctor, lawyer, engineer, or artist–because they are simply surviving and making ends meet.
Our purpose at Restore Her Voice is to ensure they hold onto those dreams. In fact, given that these amazing women are often unique because of their circumstances and challenges, it is imperative that we help them reach the height of their chosen fields and develop the voice that can out with a roar that bellows from the heart of a warrior and survivor. By helping fierce women regain and restore their voices, we will have empowered a community of women that see a reflection of themselves in these warriors.
Our Mission : Our mission is to provide the infrastructure that will position post-conflict women to achieve their potential, as well as the platform to elevate female voices around the world.
Our Team
Ayesha Sherzai MD, MAS (President)
Dr. Ayesha Zahir Sherzai is a neurologist, scientist and a published author. She trained in neurology and preventive medicine at Loma Linda University, and a fellowship in vascular neurology and epidemiology at Columbia University/NY Presbyterian Hospital,
Jahan Shahryar J.D. (Chief Executive Officer)
Jahan Shahryar is an attorney, activist and writer. She has worked closely with girls’ schools in Afghanistan, including Code to Inspire and School of Leadership Afghanistan. In addition to publishing an anthology of Afghan stories to support these partner organizations
Dean Sherzai MD, PhD, MPH (Chief Development Officer)
Dr. Dean Sherzai is a neurologist, scientist, author, and the co-director of Brain Health and Alzheimer’s Prevention Program at Loma Linda University. He completed two fellowships at National Institutes of Health, and UC San Diego.
Ajmal Subat (Chief Programs Officer)
Ajmal Subat is an artist, activist, and creative consultant who helped coordinate the evacuation of some of Afghanistan’s most visible female leaders. He is trained in classic Indian and Afghan music and toured Afghanistan with one of the nation’s leading musicians. Ajmal coaches Afghan artists pro bono, composes music for television and film, and is currently producing his second album.
Sherry Frick (Chief Financial Officer)
Frances Harrison (Chief Compliance Officer)
Taylor Grob (Director of Fundraising)
Evelyn Seubert (Fiscal Sponsor)
Garrett Flowers (Director of Mentorships)
Elizabeth Sweet (Director of Operations)
Kassandra Escobedo (Operations Manager)
Derek Silverman (Board Advisor)
Leadership Program Affiliates
Team, my thoughts are that we would have well-known celebrities provide a master class tailored to refugees (and be further involved at their discretion). In tandem, we should have members of the RHV team that can :-
- Work with the celebrities to craft the masterclasses,
- Help RHV create an internal program in each of these fields and
- Work long-term with our leaders in these fields. We can discuss how to broadcast the masterclasses (e.g. public on our website/social (one class per week?), on a major network, only to groups who apply for the program, etc).
Leadership Master Classes
Music:
- John Legend
- Alicia Keys
- Taylor Swift
- Dolly Parton
Human Rights Advocacy:
- Amal Clooney
- Angelina Jolie
- Jane Goodall
Government:
- Condoleezza Rice
- Arnold Schwarzenegger
Health & Sciences:
- Sanjay Gupta
- Susan Desmond-Hellmann CEO Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
- Risa Lavizzo-Mourey Former president/CEO Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
- Marjorie Bessel, chief clinical officer of Banner Health
- Karen Lynch, CEO, CVS Health
- Gail Broudreaux, President and CEO, Anthem
Entrepreneurship:
- John Paul Dejoria (Patron, Paul Mitchell Hair Systems)
- Hamdi Ulukaya (Chobani Founder)
- Brian Chesky (Airbnb Founder)
Producers/Content Creators:
- Shonda Rhimes
- Tracee Ellis Ross
- Leonardo Dicaprio
- Brad Pitt
Journalism:
- Yalda Hakim
- Christiane Amanpour
- Anderson Cooper
- Van Jones
- Fareed Zakaria
RHV Team
- Music: AJ Subat, [someone from ASCAP?], [Summer Watson]
- Government:
- Entrepreneurship:
- Journalism: Atia Abawi, Marika Partridge, [one of Tammy’s contacts who met the women?]
- Human Rights Advocacy:
- Health & Sciences: Ayesha Sherzai, Dean Sherzai
- Production/Content Creation: [Bridie?]
- Education: [We need an Admissions Counselor]
RHV Leadership Guide
We could also have influential people (or any team members) write “guides” for refugees. E.g. a guide on applying to schools, a guide on health/food, a guide on entering the world of journalism.