I came to the U.S. from Iran at seven years old without speaking English and with very little money. From the beginning, I saw exactly what financial vulnerability costs women: freedom, safety, and choice. That lesson stayed with me, and it shaped everything that came next.

In a male-dominated industry, I was often the only woman in the room. I quickly became the top performer in every role I held. Not by luck, but by learning how power actually works.

For years, I was told, directly and indirectly, that I wasn’t smart and talked too much. Dyslexia and ADHD went unnamed, and I learned how to shrink in classrooms and stay quiet in rooms where I didn’t feel welcome. Everything changed when one teacher challenged that narrative and forced me to take an AP class. That was the moment I stopped believing I was incapable and started moving like I belonged. My trajectory changed fast.