2026 APRI Dallas Meeting

Armenia at the Crossroads: Geopolitics, Connectivity, and the Tech Frontier

Dallas, TX, United States
Location: Hall of Lights, 4421 Charles St., Carrollton, Texas 75010

  • October 13, 2026

APRI Armenia will convene a special session in Dallas, bringing together key stakeholders to explore the future of Armenia and the South Caucasus. The program features a discussion on regional security in the wake of the US/Israel–Iran War and the evolving high-tech landscape in Armenia, highlighting new opportunities for innovation, economic development, and policy impact.


We extend our sincere gratitude to Elie Akilian for generously funding our Dallas Meeting.

REGISTER TO ATTEND
Meeting Agenda

5:45 pm

Cocktails & Passed Hors D’oeuvres, Networking, and Registration

Musical Performance

6:30 pm

Introduction and Opening Remarks

  • Welcome & Mission Overview: Seda Arzumanyan, Vice President of Donor Relations, APRI Armenia

  • Opening Remarks: Elie Akilian, AGBU Council of Trustees and the Founder of Kingsisle Entertainment and Co-Founder of Inet Technologies

  • Opening Remarks: Sam Simonian, AGBU President, CEO and Founder of TUMO Center of Creative Technologies

  • The APRI Impact: Seda Arzumanyan, Vice President of Donor Relations, APRI Armenia

  • Moderators: Seda Arzumanyan, Vice President of Donor Relations, APRI Armenia

6:45 pm

The Economic and Strategic Acceleration of a High-Tech Armenia

Armenia is emerging as a vital regional innovation hub, driven by high-tech breakthroughs. This conversation will explore the strategic value Armenia is creating for the South Caucasus and beyond and examine the concrete steps necessary to accelerate the promises outlined in the recent US–Armenia Memorandum of Understanding on AI and semiconductors and other potential economic opportunities. This conversation will further examine Armenia’s other economic opportunities and challenges beyond high-tech industry.

  • Raffi Krikorian, Chief Technology Officer, Mozilla (Zoom)
  • Dr. Aleksandr V. Gevorkyan, Professor & Henry George Chair in Economics at The Peter J. Tobin College of Business, St. John’s University
  • Moderator: Jon Najarian, Co-Founder, Resolute Capital Holdings

7:10 pm

US policy in the South Caucasus and and the Implementation of TRIPP

A discussion on strategic goals for the South Caucasus and the implementation of the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP) initiative post-August 8.

  • Garo Paylan, Scholar, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, former member of the Turkish Parliament
  • Dr. Sergei Melkonian, Research Fellow, APRI Armenia
  • Moderator: Jon Najarian, Co-Founder, Resolute Capital Holdings

7:40 pm

Break

7:50 pm

US–Iran Tensions and the Future of the South Caucasus 

August 8 was a turning point that many hoped for and a few saw coming. What is next and what might the United States’ future engagement be in the South Caucasus and beyond? This panel will untangle the microcosm of geopolitics in the South Caucasus and unpack the US’s relations with Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia and the neighboring powers. We will analyze how recent developments in the US–Iran nexus—and the resulting regional volatility—complicate peacebuilding efforts and the implementation of US-backed connectivity projects, requiring a more nuanced strategic approach.

  • Dr. Hrair Balian, Independent writer and practitioner
  • Dr. Sergei Melkonian, Research Fellow, APRI Armenia
  • Olesya Vartanyan, Researcher, George Mason University
  • Moderator: Dr. Hrair Balian, Independent writer and practitioner

8:40 pm

The APRI Armenia Research Fellowship Experience with Aram Bagdasarian, BA Student, Harvard University

8:50 pm

Closing Remarks

  • Seda Arzumanyan, Vice President of Donor Relations, APRI Armenia
Open Popup
Speaker Name
Elie Akilian
Affiliation
AGBU Council of Trustees; Founder of KingsIsle Entertainment and Co-Founder of Inet Technologies
Bio
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Elie Akilian
AGBU Council of Trustees; Founder of KingsIsle Entertainment and Co-Founder of Inet Technologies
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Speaker Name
Seda Arzumanyan
Affiliation
Vice President of Donor Relations, APRI Armenia
Bio
Seda leads APRI Armenia’s development (fundraising) strategy and works closely with key individual and institutional partners to advance the organization’s research and policy mission—to shift Armenia’s trajectory toward a more stable, sustainable, and democratic future. Seda brings extensive experience in nonprofit leadership, fundraising strategy and execution, and international development, with a professional background spanning US-based and international organizations. She holds the Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE) credential and is actively engaged with the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) as part of her commitment to continuous professional development and ethical fundraising practice. She holds two Master’s degrees, one in Social Work from Yerevan State University and another in Philanthropic Studies from the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy.
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Seda Arzumanyan
Vice President of Donor Relations, APRI Armenia
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Speaker Name
Aram Bagdasarian
Affiliation
BA Student, Harvard University
Bio
Aram is a senior at Harvard University, studying Statistics and Government, with a secondary in Mathematical Sciences. During the summer of 2026, he served as a research intern at APRI Armenia, contributing to projects on regional security, political narratives, and Armenia’s economic and technological development. His work included analyzing Azerbaijani media discourse surrounding “Western Azerbaijan” and the Zangezur Corridor, assessing the implications of different Russia–Ukraine War scenarios for Armenia, and exploring opportunities for Armenia–US cooperation in artificial intelligence, semiconductors, and high-tech diplomacy. His broader interests lie at the intersection of quantitative social science, machine learning, and public policy.
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Aram Bagdasarian
BA Student, Harvard University
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Speaker Name
Hrair Balian
Affiliation
Independent Writer and Practitioner
Bio
Hrair Balian has served in leadership positions with the United Nations, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), and NGOs the Carter Center and the International Crisis Group. During a 35-year career in public service, he has worked on conflict resolution, elections, and human rights in the Balkans, Eastern Europe, Caucasus, Central Asia, Middle East, and Africa. Hrair has also taught conflict resolution, negotiations, and mediation at the Emory University School of Law. He is the author of Anatomy of Peacemaking: Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict & Missed Opportunities (Palgrave Macmillan, Feb 2026).
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Hrair Balian
Independent Writer and Practitioner
Open Popup
Speaker Name
Aleksandr V. Gevorkyan
Affiliation
Professor & Henry George Chair in Economics at The Peter J. Tobin College of Business, St. John’s University
Bio
Aleksandr V. Gevorkyan PhD is a macroeconomist specializing in open economy, macroeconomic development, diaspora studies, and post-socialist transition economics. He is the Henry George Chair in Economics and Professor at the Department of Economics and Finance of the Peter J. Tobin College of Business at St. John’s University. A Board Member at the Henry George School of Social Science and at the Armenian Economic Association, he serves as an Economics Subject Matter Expert for the Permanent Observer Mission of the Holy See to the United Nations and is author of Transition Economies: Transformation, Development, and Society in Eastern Europe and the Former Soviet Union (Routledge, 2018) and editor of the forthcoming Oxford Handbook of Post-Socialist Economies (Oxford University Press).
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Aleksandr V. Gevorkyan
Professor & Henry George Chair in Economics at The Peter J. Tobin College of Business, St. John’s University
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Speaker Name
Raffi Krikorian
Affiliation
Chief Technology Officer, Mozilla
Bio
Raffi Krikorian is Chief Technology Officer at Mozilla, where he leads efforts to build trustworthy technology that serves the public interest and strengthens human agency. A long-time member of the Mozilla community—serving on the Mozilla Foundation Board since 2023, Mozilla.ai’s Board since 2024, and the Mozilla.org Board since its inception— he hass made an enduring impact in technology, politics, media, and philanthropy.
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Raffi Krikorian
Chief Technology Officer, Mozilla
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Speaker Name
Sergei Melkonian
Affiliation
Research Fellow, APRI Armenia
Bio
Dr. Sergei Melkonian is a Research Fellow at APRI Armenia, focusing on Russia and Iran. He is also a visiting professor at Yerevan State University and Russian-Armenian University. Before joining APRI, he served as an Assistant to the President of Armenia from 2020 to 2022, covering post-Soviet countries and the Middle East. Dr. Melkonian was a Research Fellow in the Institute of Oriental Studies (RAS) for four years, focusing on Israeli foreign and defense policy, as well as security dynamics in the Middle East. From 2018-2020, he was Head of the Eurasian and Middle Eastern Department at the Armenian Research and Development Institute. He holds a PhD in History. He has authored multiple academic papers for peer-reviewed journals and written several book chapters, analytical reports, and articles for different think-tanks, as well as op-eds for international platforms.
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Sergei Melkonian
Research Fellow, APRI Armenia
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Speaker Name
Jon Najarian
Affiliation
Co-Founder, Resolute Capital Holdings
Bio
Jon Najarian is the co-founder of Market Rebellion, LLC, a premier options education firm built to empower individual investors. He is a former Chicago Bears linebacker turned floor trader who built a distinguished career in financial markets over three decades. An options pioneer, Jon earned his stripes as a member of the Chicago Board Options Exchange (CBOE), the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME), and the Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT).
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Jon Najarian
Co-Founder, Resolute Capital Holdings
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Speaker Name
Garo Paylan
Affiliation
Scholar, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, former member of the Turkish Parliament
Bio
Garo Paylan is a visiting scholar at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in Washington, DC, where his work focuses on advancing peace and normalization in Türkiye, Armenia, and Azerbaijan. Garo is a prominent opposition voice and human rights defender from Türkiye. He served as a member of the Turkish Parliament for eight years, from 2015 to 2023.
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Garo Paylan
Scholar, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, former member of the Turkish Parliament
Open Popup
Speaker Name
Sam Simonian
Affiliation
AGBU President; CEO and Founder of TUMO Center of Creative Technologies
Bio
Photo
Sam Simonian
AGBU President; CEO and Founder of TUMO Center of Creative Technologies
Open Popup
Speaker Name
Olesya Vartanyan
Affiliation
Researcher, George Mason University
Bio
Olesya Vartanyan is a conflict analyst with over 15 years of experience researching and advocating on developments in the South Caucasus. Her publications regularly appear in leading think tanks and research centers, contributing to regional policy debates. She previously worked with the International Crisis Group, Freedom House, and the OSCE. Her field research in Abkhazia, South Ossetia, and Nagorno-Karabakh has informed policy discussions among governments and international organizations. In 2024, she received the International Young Women’s Peace Award. Olusya is currently a PhD student at the Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution at George Mason University. She holds advanced degrees from King’s College London and the Georgian Institute of Public Affairs.
Photo
Olesya Vartanyan
Researcher, George Mason University

We question our speakers and ourselves in order to create a respectful and evidence-based dialogue.

We aim to make continual progress and seek new solutions to the problems of the day.

Purposes of the APRI Rules:

  • Priming our participants to exchange ideas, in line with our unique values and working model at APRI Armenia.
  • Codifying and pushing forward our collective thinking.
  • Moving away from polarization in order to center on solutions, balance, and critical thinking.
  • Spreading our culture and energy as part of our contribution to the civic debate.

Born in Moscow in 2001 to an Armenian family, David Arutyunyan grew up in an environment filled with music and began studying piano at the age of seven. Although his early interests leaned toward astronomy and space, everything changed when he discovered the works of Sergei Rachmaninoff,: a turning point that redirected his path toward a professional career in music.

Beginning in 2016, David studied piano under the guidance of Professor Yuri Slesarev at the Academic Music College, where he also developed a deep interest in composition, harmony, and musical form. After graduating, he continued his education at the Moscow State Conservatory, and in 2024 transferred to Southern Methodist University in Dallas to pursue advanced musical studies.

In addition to piano performance, David has composed original works, created arrangements, and cultivated interests in programming, game development, and web design. He is a recipient of numerous prestigious awards, including Grand Prix honors at the Pacific International Piano Competition, Chicago International Music Competition, and Glory International Piano Competition, as well as First Prize at the San Francisco International Piano Competition, among others.

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