Soraya Beheshti

Although I adjust my repertoire depending on the audience and the event planner's needs, a client can generally expect my audiences to gain new and unique insights into various social issues; to begin thinking about such issues in totally new ways, forming new connections and links between practices that they previously did not hold (e.g., human rights & diet); and to be inspired to innovative, holistic action towards peace and sustainability.

I use my academic background in conversation with my experiences living all over the world; and draw from my repository of stories collected while living in Vietnam, working in refugee camps, having grown up as a Third Culture Kid and the daughter of a displaced teenager-turned-documentary-filmmaker in the crossroads of internationalism, Dubai; and more. I tell the stories of asylum seekers whom I have had the honor of meeting, befriending, serving and working with who have been able to overcome the most grave of circumstances and find meaning in their new lives.

I employ funny anecdotes, heartwarming eye-openers and factual information all framed in critical theory to create an enriching experience for the listener that is insightful while still being easy-to-understand. I aim to bring profound philosophical theories (e.g. post-Structuralism) into the purview of audiences who might not otherwise have access to them or who haven't been exposed to them. It is my aim that if I can engage with classical philosophy in a fun, entertaining and easy-to-understand way, my audiences might then decide to explore more of the original sources.
I hope to leave a session having caused people to rethink the basic assumptions they previously held, while still feeling positive and optimistic about the future. Positivity is the name of the game, and while the subject I discuss can be heavy, I make sure to cultivate an atmosphere of non-judgment, inspiration and hope.

Soraya Beheshti is an executive at Crimson Education, a cutting edge technology company valued at over $600 million. She is also the Vice President of the Columbia Alumni Association of the UAE, and a Board Member at the New Zealand Business Council - the youngest in the organization’s history.

Soraya was the recipient of the SME Rising Star in Business award for the MENA region in 2022 and an Outstanding Leadership in Education Award in 2021. She joined Crimson Education as an early employee while still a full time college student at Columbia University to launch the business in the MENA region and is currently the Director for Crimson in EMEA + India. She is also a member of the Core Executive Team. She graduated Magna Cum Laude from Columbia University majoring in Anthropology with a minor in Middle Eastern Studies, where she received the Dean’s Scholarship and Dean's Honors six times. At university, Soraya founded a non-profit startup building blockchain-based tech products for refugees. Her team won the Columbia Innovation Award and matriculated into the IBM Blockchain Accelerator. As a student, she was invited to the UAE Mission to the UN to discuss youth issues in the UAE; conducted sustainability workshops for government bodies; and was a member of the UNSDG Media Zone. She was also invited to meet with the Rt Hon. Jacinda Ardern during her visit to Columbia. Within her time at university, Soraya worked with refugee communities in the Middle East and Europe; conducted conservation research in the Atlantic Rainforest in Brazil and studied Arabic and Migration at Columbia’s Global Centers in Amman and Paris.

Recently, Soraya’s book, the Karavan Kitchen, an anthology of refugee stories, poetry and plant-based recipes from refugee homes, has been published by Lantern Books and Media. The proceeds from the sales of her book will be donated to her foundation and used to provide water, food, shelter and other essential goods to displaced people around the world.