Maryam Abolfazli is a global communications leader, strategist, and storyteller with more than two decades of experience shaping narratives, directing multichannel campaigns, and building public engagement strategies across North America, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. A proud single mom and second-generation immigrant from Tennessee, she has dedicated her life to helping people understand one another—and to using communications as a tool for expanding opportunity and improving lives.
Maryam began her global career at age 24 in Afghanistan, working with the United Nations and the Afghan government on post-war reconstruction. There, she honed the cross-cultural fluency and diplomatic communication skills that would define her career—bringing together government ministers, international donors, community leaders, and multilateral institutions around shared objectives. She went on to earn her master’s degree from Columbia University and conduct economic development research at the World Bank.
For the next decade, Maryam led innovative political development and civic engagement initiatives across the Middle East and Eurasia. She designed digital learning platforms, entrepreneurship programs, and civic education campaigns that reached thousands and remain in use today. Her work combined narrative strategy, creative content development, and partnership building—delivering programs that strengthened civil society, elevated underrepresented voices, and deepened public understanding of complex issues.
Throughout her international work, Maryam also developed strong organizational and creative leadership capabilities: hiring and mentoring teams across regions, guiding multimillion-dollar initiatives, and building systems that ensured strategic alignment, digital integration, and effective performance measurement. As a tech COO, nonprofit executive, and senior advisor, she has led multidisciplinary teams of creatives, strategists, digital producers, and community partners to deliver communications with real-world impact.
After two decades abroad and in Washington, DC, Maryam returned home to Tennessee to apply her global experience locally. She has served in executive roles with mission-driven organizations, including Millions of Conversations, Brave New Software, Project Return, and the Atlas Project. She also chaired the boards of AWAKE and the Metro Human Relations Commission, deepening her commitment to inclusive leadership and human rights.
In 2023, following the Covenant School shooting, Maryam organized one of the largest public rallies in Tennessee history—an event that sparked statewide political engagement and earned her recognition as one of Nashville Scene’s “Nashvillians of the Year.” She then founded Rise and Shine TN, a civic engagement organization dedicated to expanding democratic participation. She built its brand, messaging, digital channels, and statewide engagement strategy—growing a large, active audience united around shared values of freedom, safety, and opportunity.
Her 2024 congressional run further demonstrated her instinct for authentic, data-driven, digital-forward communications. She developed a message framework rooted in listening, community, and trust; produced compelling video and social content; and built an online ecosystem that mobilized thousands based on her low-cost and inspiring message. Her understanding of digital communities—as dynamic relationships rather than passive consumers—remains central to her work.
Today, Maryam continues to lead with curiosity, clarity, and conviction. She excels at translating complex issues into narratives that resonate across cultures and contexts; at guiding creative and strategic teams; and at building campaigns that inspire learning, connection, and collective action. A natural communicator and storyteller, she brings a rare combination of global perspective, local grounding, and deep belief in the power of communications to improve lives.
