San Francisco, CA – The Armenian National Committee of America - Northern California (ANCA-NorCal) NextGen Network brought together some of the Bay Area’s most accomplished Armenian-American professionals Thursday evening at Mars Bar, drawing a crowd of young professionals, community advocates, and first-time attendees for an energetic night of networking, mentorship, and shared purpose.

On the 30th of April, the event – free to attend and open to the public – ran from 6:30 to 9:30 PM, and delivered exactly what the NextGen Network promised: direct, meaningful access to leaders who have built careers across industries, who showed up Thursday night to invest that experience back into their community.

“The energy in this room tonight speaks for itself. We organized this event with one clear purpose - connecting established professionals with the next generation entering their fields, and creating a community platform for professional development and dialogue. This is just the beginning. The NextGen team is committed to continuing this series across the Bay Area.” — Henry Agajanov, ANCA-WR Regional Coordinator​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

The evening featured a panel of Armenian-American professionals whose combined careers span some of the most demanding and consequential fields in the American economy.

Ani Kantarci, senior marketing and business development leader at Morrison & Foerster, one of the world’s preeminent global law firms, spoke to the realities of building a career  – and the importance of taking initiative in your professional career and navigating career transitions.

Alex Bastian, President & CEO of the Hotel Council of San Francisco, brought to the evening his years of experience in public safety, business tax reform, and government leadership. A former prosecutor at both the San Francisco and Los Angeles District Attorney’s Offices, and a UCLA and USF Law Graduate, Bastian now represents the full weight of San Francisco’s hospitality industry. Bastian represented the breadth of what an Armenian-American career in public life can look like. 

Harry Glorikian – executive, investor, advisor, and author of The Invisible Interface – brought a forward-looking energy to the room, speaking to where artificial intelligence and data are taking careers and what that means for professionals entering the workforce today. His career spanning multiple founded companies and a deep advisory practice made him among the evening’s most sought-after conversation partners.

Varouj Chitilian, former CTO of Instacart and former Senior Director of Engineering at Google – where he led consumer payments – offered perspective shaped by some of the most consequential technical decisions in Silicon Valley’s recent history. A graduate of MIT in Computer Science and Electrical Engineering, Chitilian’s presence alone underscored the reach of Armenian-American talent in the technology sector.

Sevana Panosian, award winning AP English Teacher, Master Teacher through San Francisco State University (SFSU), and MFA holder in Writing, brought a perspective too often absent from professional networking  events – the indispensable role of educators in sustaining both career development, family life and cultural identity. 

Hrag Kalebjian, owner of Henry’s House of Coffee in San Francisco,brought a perspective rooted in both corporate experience and entrepreneurial conviction. After nearly a decade in corporate finance, Kalebjian made a deliberate decision to return to Henry’s Coffee – a storied and beloved San Francisco institution – to carry forward a family legacy that had already earned its place in the city’s culture. His story spoke to the professional calculus many in the room are quietly navigating: what it means to build something that lasts, and what it takes to bet on it.

And Greekor Nemet, owner and winemaker of kareen Wine, closed the roster with a story equally rich: a family-owned California winery carrying the Armenian winemaking tradition since 2010, producing small-lot award winning wines since 2016. Nemet’s presence was a reminder that Armenian heritage and American entrepreneurship are not in tension, but at their best, the same thing.

Attendees moved through the evening’s program energized. The panel touched on some of the most important topics in today’s industry, from harnessing the power of AI in your career to navigating it in the future. Panelists touched on other important topics including  For many, it was a first direct encounter with Armenian-American professionals operating at this level across so many simultaneous fields. For others, it was a reunion – and a reaffirmation of why community infrastructure like the NextGen Network matters. 

The ANCA NextGen Network continues to grow as a hub for Armenian-American professional development, civic engagement, and diaspora community-building across Western United States. Thursday’s event marked another milestone in that mission. The NextGen planning committee has announced intentions to host its next event in late June.