Tata Monfared, founder and executive director of Senses Cultural, a nonprofit organization based in Sacramento, California, was the featured speaker October 30, 2016 at the Iranian-American Women Foundation (IAWF) conference at the Hotel Irvine in Irvine, California.
Monfared discussed her dedication to sharing her rich Iranian culture across the world for the past 20-plus years. During that time, she has formed alliances and partnerships with multiple leading institutions in Northern California and abroad, including SOAS University in London, the University of California Davis, San Francisco State University, and others. She has staged and supported a number of creative projects, such as the ongoing international exhibition, “Enduring Power,” which shows the strength and creativity of Iranian and Middle Eastern women photographers.
In recent years, the many challenges presented by autism and other neurodevelopmental disorders compelled her to launch Senses Cultural Academy of Health, which helps families in Iran and elsewhere in the Middle East deal with autism diagnoses among their members. Her efforts led to an autism conference in November 2015 in Tehran, which drew American professionals from the UC Davis MIND Institute to participate in the conference. She has since continued those efforts by facilitating ongoing dialogue among neurodevelopmental experts in Iran and the U.S.
All of these accomplishments exemplify the strong will and initiative required to overcome the societal and cultural obstacles that many Middle Eastern women regularly confront.
For more information IAWF Conference, see: https://www.iawfoundation.org/conference/orange-county-2016/
Learn more about the Senses Cultural Academy of Health at http://sensesacademyofhealth.org/
Contact Robert Miller for more information at 925-586-7100 or robmiller@sensescultural.org.