Mandana Dayani
Iranian-American businesswoman (born 1982) From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Mandana Rivka Dayani (born 1982) is an Iranian-American attorney, businesswoman, brand expert, and media executive. In 2018, she created I Am a Voter, a nonpartisan organization aimed at educating and mobilizing voters, in partnership with CAA. From 2021 to 2022, she served as the president of Archewell, the media and philanthropic company founded by Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex.[2] Since the Gaza war started in October 2023, Dayani has made frequent media appearances to speak on antisemitism and started The Calanet Foundation to support Jewish communities and students, with projects including Our Campus United and One Mitzvah a Day. In 2025, President Joe Biden appointed her to the United States Holocaust Memorial Council board of trustees.[3][4][5]
 | A major contributor to this article appears to have a close connection with its subject. (May 2025) |
Mandana Dayani | |
|---|---|
| |
| Born | Mandana Rivka Dayani 1982 (age 42ā43)[1] |
| Education | University of Southern California (BA, JD) |
| Occupation | Businesswoman |
| Spouse | Peter Traugott |
She is a regular contributor on Morning Joe on MSNBC and an investor.[6][7]
Early life and education
Dayani was born into a Persian Jewish family who had attempted to leave Iran since the 1979 Iranian revolution. They obtained a travel visa to go to Italy in 1987, and were granted asylum as religious refugees in the United States with the help of Jewish American nonprofit HIAS.[8]
Dayani attended the University of Southern California, where she received her bachelor's degree and went on to earn her Juris Doctor from the USC Gould School of Law.[1]
Career
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Perspective
Early career
Dayani began her career as a corporate attorney at Paul Hastings.[9][10] She then became a talent agent representing celebrities and fashion designers, including fashion stylist Rachel Zoe. This led her to later become head of the company, Rachel Zoe, Inc., which included The Rachel Zoe Collection, The Zoe Report, Rachel Zoe Ventures, The Curateur, and a producer and regular on her show, The Rachel Zoe Project (2008ā2013).[11]
Dayani was chief brand officer of an online marketplace for estate sales named Everything But The House and the executive producer of its show on HGTV.[12][9]
Business ventures
I Am a Voter
During New York Fashion Week in late 2018, Dayani co-founded I Am a Voter, a nonpartisan organization aimed at educating and mobilizing voters, which has been promoted by celebrities and athletes.[13][14] The organization was co-founded by more than 30 women and the Creative Artists Agency. A social media campaign headed by the organization involved having actors meet with their former costars, including actors from Will & Grace, Friends, and Iron Man and The Avengers.[15]
Ahead of the 2024 US presidential election, the organization announced a merger with the voter registration organization HeadCount to consolidate resources.[16]
Archewell
From May 2021 to December 2022, she was the president of Archewell, the media and philanthropic company founded by Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex.[2][17] During this time, she played a significant role in the couple's business dealings with Spotify and Netflix.[11] She stepped down from the position in December 2022, shortly before the release of Archewell's Netflix documentary.[18]
The Calanet Foundation
Dayani founded The Calanet Foundation to support initiatives aimed at combating antisemitism and fostering Jewish community engagement. Through the foundation, she launched One Mitzvah A Day, a bipartisan initiative encouraging Jewish Americans and allies to engage in daily acts of gratitude and advocacy, and Our CampUs United, an online platform co-founded with Yasmeen Ohebsion to provide Jewish college students with resources to address antisemitism on campuses.[19][20][21]
Activism
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Perspective
Dayani's experience as a religious refugee from Iran is one of her stated inspirations behind her activism.[8]
In 2020, Dayani, together with her friend Debra Messing, launched The Dissenters podcast with Dear Media. The podcast features interviews with advocates for social issues, including Glennon Doyle, Adam Schiff, Jane Fonda, Hillary Clinton, Eva Longoria, and Sophia Bush.[22] Dayani and Messing were dubbed "Jewish Champions" on the cover of the Jewish Journal in June 2023; the publication praised them for their "Unabashed Jewish Pride and Fearless Activism".[23]
In the lead-up to the 2022 U.S. midterm elections, Dayani emphasized the importance of voter participation, highlighting the high stakes of the elections and the increasing challenges to voting access due to restrictive laws across the country.[24]
Since the beginning of the Gaza war in October 2023, Dayani has made media appearances to speak on antisemitism.[25] She has regularly appeared on MSNBC to comment on the impact of antisemitism on Jews in the diaspora.[26][27][28] Dayani's video about the October 7 Hamas-led attack on Israel was viewed approximately 50 million times.[29] She was named as one of the "Top 100 Influential Jews" for the Hebrew year of 5782 (from 2021 to 2022) by the Tel Aviv Institute.[30] She spoke on the attack as part of Permanent Mission of Israel to the United Nations, later that year.[31] Amidst nationwide pro-Palestinian protests on university campuses in 2024, she spoke at a rally in Cornell University that was organized to combat antisemitism on campus and throughout the U.S.[32]
In March 2024, she appeared on Morning Joe to discuss global responses to sexual violence by Hamas, criticizing the lack of public support for victims.[33] In April 2024, Mandana Dayani spoke at a "Jewish Unity Rally" at Cornell University, an event organized to address antisemitism and support Israel amid calls for divestment from pro-Palestine activists.[34] Dayani interviewed hostages, including Moran Stella Yanai.[35]
In 2025, Dayani was appointed by President Biden to serve on the United States Holocaust Memorial Council Board of Trustees.[3]
Personal life
Dayani married Peter Traugott, a media executive and producer, in 2010.[1] The couple has two daughters and resides in Los Angeles, California. She signed to the Creative Artists Agency in 2023.[36]
References
External links
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