From corporate law, fashion, entertainment, media and angel investing to royalty and now civic engagement, Mandana Dayani has worked in (and for) a diverse group. But her advocacy work for human rights, Jewish causes and voter protection is what we find most inspiring.
As creator and cofounder of I am a voter, a nonpartisan civic engagement organization that raises public awareness around voting, Dayani continues to mobilize young people and marginalized communities around a central truth: “Our democracy works best when we all participate.”
@mandanadayaniIn 2020, Dayani and actress Debra Messing created and hosted The Dissenters podcast featuring 20 episodes with notable guests—including Hillary Clinton, Jane Fonda and Eva Longoria—with a mission to inspire activism in others. Dayani then served as the president of Archewell, the media and philanthropic company founded by Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.
Dayani, whose Persian Jewish family fled religious persecution in Iran in the ’80s, has been in the news more recently for her tireless dedication to Jewish activism and combating anti-Semitism, especially on social media, in the wake of the Israel-Hamas tragedies.
I am a voter will no doubt mobilize during this election year. Her Substack, In Conversation, also launched in late 2023, so luckily we’ll all be able to follow Dayani’s inspiring activism in the new year and beyond.
“Voting is one of the most critical ways we create change,” Dayani told us. “Gen Z and Millennial voters will count for nearly 40 percent of votes in the 2024 election, making them the largest and most diverse voting bloc in our history. By registering to vote and showing up to the polls, they have the ability to profoundly impact outcomes in elections in every state and at the national level.”
