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“Many women have shown us that they can conquer all odds and succeed in the fields of their choice. These twenty visionary women exemplify the power, the spirit, the creativity and the persistence of the true ‘pioneer woman.’”
— Martha Stewart

"In this tribute to 20 visionaries Angella Nazarian illuminates the power and potential of women through the mesmerizing stories of these groundbreakers and harbingers of change. The subjects of this great collection have hurdled gender, ideological or creative barriers, while others tested the limits of socioeconomic or racial boundaries. Through lively and probing portraits she reveals the unique personality and passion of each woman, describing their motivations and life’s work. You will most likely be familiar with some of these women; others may be new to you, and make you wonder how in the world you never heard of them. They offered radically new ways of seeing the world and as a result their work and legacy have brought about ripples of change that we all benefit from today."
— Tina Brown, Editor-in-Chief of Newsweek and The Daily Beast

About Angella

Angella NazarianAngella Nazarian is a bestselling author and a noted speaker. Angella was a professor of Psychology and faculty member at Mount Saint Mary’s College, California State University Long Beach, and Los Angeles Valley College for eleven years. She has been conducting workshops and seminars on topics related to women’s personal growth and innovation and leadership, and has been a keynote speaker at various national events and conferences including the YPO-WPO Global Leadership Conference in Los Angeles and the YPO Women’s LEAN IN Conference in Miami. Angella has also presented the Commencement addresses for Brentwood School and Archer School for Girls. For a list of topics and seminars, please click here.

Angella has lead panels at the Milken Global Conference on Visionary Women Entrepreneurs and Visionary Women in Social Enterprise. She served as a delegate at Newsweek & The Daily Beast’s Women in the World conference and was a speaker for the World Leadership Forum Mexico City.

Angella is the co-founder of VISIONARY WOMEN, a non-profit women’s leadership organization in Los Angeles that brings together some of the most dynamic thought leaders in the country together for in depth conversations. She is also an advisory board member of the Iranian American Women’s Leadership Conference.

Angella has a well-rounded background in the field of education. She served on the Board of Directors for Les Enfants Preschool in Santa Monica, and University Laboratory School – Graduate School of Education and Information Studies at UCLA. She was the chairperson of the education committee of the Board of Trustees at Brentwood School and was a trustee at the school. She also serves on the Parent Advisory Board at Stanford University. Angella serves on the board of Y&S Nazarian Family Foundation, and is the co-founder of Looking Beyond, a charitable organization that promotes awareness and creates advancement and enrichment for children with disabilities. She is also a member of WOMEN MOVING MILLIONS, a community of individuals promoting the advancement and empowerment of women and girls.

All three of her books, “Visionary Women”, “Life as a Visitor” and “Pioneers of the Possible: Celebrating Visionary Women of the World” have become bestsellers for the publisher, and have garnered glowing reviews from: Arianna Huffington, Tina Brown, Martha Stewart, Diane von Furstenberg, Ambassador Melanne Verveer.

In 2014 Manhattan Magazine featured Angella in their “Power Women” series, and Angeleno Magazine has listed her as one of their Top 12 Philanthropists shaping Los Angeles. In 2015, the Los Angeles Lakers and Comerica Bank presented Ms. Nazarian with the Women’s Leadership Award in the category of Women of Diversity. LA Confidential listed her as a Woman of Influence in their 2017 women’s issue. She was awarded an honorary doctorate in Letters and Science from Woodburry University in 2017 and is the recipient of The Ellis Island Medal of Honor in 2018. (The Ellis Island Medal of honor is given to American citizens whose accomplishments in their field and inspired service to the United States are cause for celebration.)

In 2019 Nazarian was awarded the Visionary Award in Arts and Culture in philanthropy by C-Suite Quarterly Magazine.

Angella Nazarian graduated (Summa Cum Laude) with a BS in Psychology from UCLA and earned her graduate degree (Summa Cum Laude) in Industrial/Organizational Psychology from California State University, Long Beach.

Angella Nazarian lives in Los Angeles with her husband and sons.