Board of Directors

Ellie Abbasi

Ellie moved to the United States in 2001, and earned her bachelor’s degree in Biochemistry, and MBA from the University of California, Irvine. She has dedicated her professional career to the healthcare industry, with a current focus on Oncology.

As a process-oriented professional, Ellie oversees the commercial operations of her division, where she excels in enhancing efficiency and fostering team synergy.

In July 2023, Ellie joined OCIACC and immediately fell in love with its mission and commitment to the community. She is passionate about leveraging her skills to help others. Ellie believes in the power of individual contribution to community betterment, and exemplifies this through her involvement in various initiatives, making a tangible difference in the lives of those around her.

Outside of work, Ellie enjoys hiking, gathering with family and friends as well as traveling the world with her husband and 2 boys to further demonstrate her well-rounded character and dedication to a balanced lifestyle.

Shirin Behzadi

Shirin Behzadi is a highly successful entrepreneur in the franchising industry.  She has been the Chief Executive Officer of Home Franchise Concepts (HFC), one of the largest franchise businesses in the home space.  Shirin oversaw the growth of HFC’s sales with more than 1700 franchisees.  Under her leadership, the system wide sales of the company grew significantly with double digit top and bottom line growth year over year.

Shirin is a visionary leader, entrepreneur and brand builder.  During her twenty-year tenure with HFC, she transformed and professionalized HFC into what is considered today the top-selling family of direct-to-consumer brands.

Today, Shirin is a board member and an advisor to several companies, helping them plan and achieve their desired growth.  Shirin has garnered coverage in print and broadcast outlets for her achievements, and has been recognized by EY as Entrepreneur of the Year and a recipient of the Innovation Award by Franchise.com

Mona Hemmati Bahri

Mona is a security solutions professional with Evron Security, where she helps businesses identify and implement security solutions tailored to their needs.

An entrepreneur at heart, Mona founded and operated Mermaid Fashion House in Iran for ten years before immigrating to the United States. Almost immediately after her plane landed at LAX, she joined OCIACC as a volunteer and has remained a dedicated part of the organization ever since.

Mona brings her entrepreneurial experience, professional expertise, and passion for building meaningful community connections to OCIACC.

Sanaz Jahangard

Sanaz Jahangard is an attorney in the business planning department at Brown & Streza, LLP. She represents companies from all industries. Sanaz understands the unique and complex dynamics of closely held businesses and helps her clients successfully navigate the competing goals of financial growth and harmony amongst owners. As a successful former business owner, Sanaz has confronted many of the same challenges her clients encounter and can easily relate to them. Sanaz applies her inherent business understanding and experiences when providing business and tax planning.

Sanaz frequently represents clients in succession planning, joint ventures, tax planning, commercial transactions, employment matters, real estate transactions, and mergers & acquisitions. Her experience includes negotiating and drafting key project documents and advising on complex tax issues. Sanaz often works closely with other advisors, such as accountants, valuation experts, financial planners, and bankers to provide comprehensive services that benefit her clients.