Special Guest
Silva Harapetian Journalist, CEO Silva Media Group
Silva Harapetian is an accomplished journalist with a remarkable career spanning over two decades in the broadcasting industry. She is an Emmy nominated journalist, an award-winning producer, and an Amazon Best Selling Author. Silva has spent 22 years in front of the camera and behind the scenes for some of the nation's most prominent media outlets, including CBS, NBC, ABC, and FOX affiliates covering global news events with a front row seat to many of the historic events of our generation. Born in Iran, Silva has experienced the devastating effects of war and escaped political and religious persecution, arriving in Los Angeles with with her family in 1988. She attended Hoover High School in Glendale.
After graduating from the University of Southern California, Silva landed an internship at KCBS where she discovered the power of stories and their ability to impact people, communities, and the world.
However, becoming a television journalist was almost impossible for a young woman for whom English was a 4th language. In an industry that lacked diversity and minority representation, many said that pursuing a career in broadcast journalism lacked common sense. Silva remained steadfast in her commitment to using her voice to amplify voices that were ignored, suppressed, and silenced. Her path to success was filled with years of rejection, limited opportunities, and heartbreaking setbacks, yet she persisted, continuously learning and honing her craft until a radio executive in Fresno finally took a chance on her. This pivotal moment — 25 years ago — marked the beginning of Silva's trailblazing career to becoming the first Armenian-Iranian-American television journalist in the United States' broadcast news industry. Her remarkable achievements are a testament to her indomitable spirit, unwavering perseverance, and unrelenting commitment to amplifying underrepresented voices and impactful stories. Throughout her career, Silva has covered global news events and witnessed many of the historic events of our generation, including multiple presidential elections, 9/11, the Oklahoma City Bombing, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and mass shootings such as Parkland and Orlando. She has also shared the stories of families devastated by natural disasters, including Hurricanes Katrina and Wilma, and the distraction of Harvey, Isaac, Maria, and Irma. Silva is also a successful entrepreneur and founder of The Silva Media Group Production Company, The Media Mastery Institute, The Epic Storytelling Academy, and The Silva Harapetian YouTube, Podcast, and Radio shows. Through her work, she is dedicated to empowering women and amplifying their voices.
In 2020, Silva won a Communicator Award for an online web series and a short film. In 2021, she won a Telly Award for her online political commentary about the war in Artsakh titled “What’s Going on In Armenia?”
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