How Thrive Armenia was formed:

I was born and grew up in Yerevan, Armenia. Life circumstances allowed me to relocate to the United States, where I was privileged to obtain a top-notch education from various institutions, including a Retirement Planning Specialist designation from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. I feel fortunate to have had the ability to gain knowledge and put most of my training to practice as I built my career in Finance in the last 20 years.

The Artsakh war of 2020 was the catalyst for the Thrive Armenia Foundation to be born. I was heartbroken to discover the bitter reality of the events. Like many Armenians around the world, I was devastated to bear witness to the war’s outcome. It was hard to swallow to realize that we as a people are not significant enough, or Armenia as a country is not important enough for the world to come and “rescue us.” First came shock, then anger, and the realization of the injustice happening in this world. Even though I was involved in our local community in NY by raising funds for humanitarian aid, medical and other supplies for soldiers and refugees, I was consumed by emotions and feelings of helplessness for Armenia. That is when I decided to do something constructive about it.

I was so proud to realize that in times of need, all Armenians can unite to raise funds and mobilize communities toward a common goal. I knew that if I were to ask for help, I would receive it.

My vision of the future of Armenia is for it to become one of the world’s most developed and prosperous countries. My dream is to help raise the standards of living in Armenia so that it is one of the most desirable places to visit or to live. My desire is to have people to associate.

Armenian products and services as being of the highest quality. Hence, the vision of the Thrive Armenia Foundation is a flourishing, prosperous Armenia that is economically and technologically advanced. To accomplish that, we will need to make every effort to provide high-quality education and resources to the people of Armenia, especially to the new generation.

They say everything happens for a reason. So I look at my personal challenges as a wake-up call and as a command to act as if it was God’s way of helping me step out of my daily routines and question his purpose for me. Perhaps being born in Armenia and having

lived in both Eastern and Western cultures gives me a clearer understanding of how to help our motherland. Armenians are hard-working and proud people. They don’t need our charity. They desire opportunities. We believe in the saying, “Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime.”

When my friends and colleagues ask how they can help, the short answer is to get involved. The long-term resolution is to bring JOBS to the Armenian people!

Part of our long-term goals is to partner with various Armenian and international organizations to teach employable skills to Armenians via our online Get Skills Academy so that Armenians can better compete in the global virtual job marketplace. All programs range from 3-6 months and are free of charge to all who have been affected by the war. I invite you to explore our programs.

Thank you,

Anna