Iranian Women you Should Know: Azadeh Hariri

December 8, 2015

7 min read

Iranian Women you Should Know: Azadeh Hariri

Global and Iranian history are both closely intertwined with the lives and destinies of prominent figures. Every one of them has laid a brick on history’s wall, sometimes paying the price with their lives, men and women alike. Women have been especially influential in the past 200 years, writing much of contemporary Iranian history.

In Iran, women have increased public awareness about gender discrimination, raised the profile of and improved women’s rights, fought for literacy among women, and promoted the social status of women by counteracting religious pressures, participating in scientific projects, being involved in politics, influencing music, cinema... And so the list goes on.

This series aims to celebrate these renowned and respected Iranian women. They are women who represent the millions of women that influence their families and societies on a daily basis. Not all of the people profiled in the series are endorsed by IranWire, but their influence and impact cannot be overlooked. The articles are biographical stories that consider the lives of influential women in Iran.

IranWire readers are invited to send in suggestions for how we might expand the series. Contact IranWire via email (info@iranwire.com), on Facebook, or by tweeting us.

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“Her humble attitude and appearance is in contrast with her business acumen and sharp sense of presence,” an interviewer said of Azadeh Hariri. “More importantly, Hariri is busy making a positive difference in the lives of academically gifted yet financially constrained Iranians who wish to further themselves in America.”

Azadeh (Azi) Maboudi Hariri was born in 1951 in Tehran to a traditional but wealthy family, owners of Starlight Textiles, a large and profitable outfit. After studying in the United States she returned to Tehran and the Iranian Ministry of Commerce almost immediately hired her as an economic analyst. Later, she left the ministry and became chief operating officer of Starlight Textile Company.

After the 1979 Islamic Revolution she and her family were forced to leave Iran and emigrate to the United States. Like many other companies, the new government confiscated Starlight and made it part of the Mostazafan Foundation of Islamic Revolution.

“My late grandfather was rich and a factory owner,” Hariri told IranWire, “but when we immigrated to America all our properties were confiscated. When my husband and I arrived in the U.S., we set out to create a new business with new ideas and plans.”

The result of one of their ideas was Pacific Groservice, Inc., now renamed PITCO Foods, a wholesale retailer and distributor of food, beverages, and consumer products to independent convenience stores, grocery chains, restaurants, and vending service operators in Northern California. It was founded in 1982 and Azadeh Hariri is the company’s Chief Operations Officer. It has more than 600 employees and an annual sale of over $500 million.

In 1994 she was selected as a member of the dean’s board at Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government. She is also a member of the board of St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee.

During her years in the United States, Azadeh Hariri has come across many talented Iranian students who had been accepted by universities in California but because of the high cost of living and books they have not able to continue their education. She tried to help them case by case but in 2000 decided to create a non-profit foundation to support them. The result was the Iranian Scholarship Foundation (ISF), which up to now has paid for the education of 270 Iranian students.

“When my daughter was going to school about 10-11 years ago, there was no scholarship program benefiting Iranian students and that was in the back of my mind,” says Hariri. “I was busy with my business those days and did not take any action till I heard about Ms. Farib Nejat and the IFWC Scholarship Fund [part of the Iranian Federated Women's Club]. I looked into their program and it was a small scholarship fund of maximum $1,000. I suggested then (in the year 2000) to start a meaningful scholarship program supporting talented Iranian students. So I founded the Youth Scholarship Fund to give up to $10,000 to students under IFWC provision.”

The foundation is funded by Hariri herself and other donors. A committee of professors from Stanford and University of California Berkeley evaluate the applicants, who qualify for assessment by graduating from high school with high grade point averages. Those who receive the scholarship have their expenses covered until they receive their Bachelor’s degrees.

“We are not working with any organizations in Iran,” Hariri says. “Student applicants in Iran must apply for scholarship to us the same way that they apply to an American University. There is a selecting committee that will review all the applications and select a few candidates. Of course, we have to look at a list of criteria such as the family earnings for past two years to make certain that we are indeed helping the needy candidates.”

From Riches to Rags and Back

Azadeh Hariri says that she does not regret any of her choices. “I always tell the students that it took only nine hours, the time that it takes to fly from Iran to America, to turn a wealthy woman to a woman devoid of money and means,” she says. “Whatever we built later over this ruin was thanks to the determination and efforts of me and my husband. So do not be afraid of the future and never lose your self-confidence, especially if you are a woman. Look ahead.”

She has received many awards for helping to educate young people and every year donates funds to Moms Against Poverty, a charitable foundation that helps with children’s health and education in many countries, including Iran and Afghanistan

She believes that by helping Iranian students in the United States, she is helping both Iran and the United States. “The more leaders we have in America who understand Iran and its culture, the better off Iranians will be,” she says “We must have senators and congresspersons of Iranian descent in 20 years. We must fight ignorance and the only way to achieve that is to make sure Iranians reach the levers of power and decision making in America. Helping the leadership in the United States is the same as helping Iran.”

Her success has not made Hariri arrogant. “I am a small fish in a huge pond,” she declares “We have turned the corner but there is a lot more to be done. There are so many places and venues to make contributions, so many other organizations to bring into fold and as a result, create a lasting impact.”

Also in the series:

50 Iranian Women you Should Know: Jinous Nemat Mahmoudi

50 Iranian Women you Should Know: Simin Behbahani

50 Iranian Women you Should Know: Forough Farrokhzad

50 Iranian Women you Should Know: Parvin Etesami

50 Iranian Women you Should Know: Farokhru Parsa

50 Iranian Women you Should Know: Jamileh Sadeghi

50 Iranian Women you Should Know: Fatemeh Daneshvar

50 Iranian Women you Should Know: Fatemeh Moghimi

50 Iranian Women you Should Know: Googoosh

50 Iranian Women you Should Know: Sima Bina

50 Iranian Women you Should Know: Tahereh Qurratu'l-Ayn