Chairman's Message

In Armenia there are extraordinary people who are willing to sacrifice themselves to generously bring benefit to their fellow countrymen. They harness all of their personal talent and energy, along with friends and neighbors who join their cause to bring new light and new hope into the lives of a group of people who might not otherwise get the support and attention that they so desperately require. Such is the case with the arts and education projects we support.

When you financially support the Paros projects please know that every penny you send us will go directly to the projects. My family underwrites all of the Foundation expenses. All of your money will support the children, disabled adults, or artistic communities with whom we work. If your family supports projects in Armenia directly, you may wish to consider becoming affiliated with our Foundation to leverage the administrative infrastructure we have built to oversee our "investments" and to produce and promote special events which highlight the works of Paros projects, like concerts and exhibitions. Thank you for making a difference in the lives of so many people.

Roger Strauch

About the Chairman

Roger Strauch is Chairman of The Roda Group, a seed stage venture capital group, based in Berkeley, California. His firm, co-founded in 1997 with Dan Miller, provides entrepreneurs the resources, environment, and guidance to launch and grow their high technology businesses.

Mr. Strauch is Chairman of the Board of Directors of Cool Systems, the manufacturer of Game Ready, a medical physical therapy system.

The Roda Group is the largest investor in Solazyme, a renewable oil and bioproducts company and the leader in algal biotechnology. The Roda Group led or co-led every round of the company’s financings. In 2011 Solazyme set an industrial biotech funds raising record of $227M when they priced their IPO.

He was the first CEO and former chairman of Ask Jeeves (now Ask.com) a leading search engine on the web. Mr. Strauch was a board member and former CEO of Symmetricom, a public telecommunications equipment manufacturer. In 1983 he co-founded TCSI Corp., a telecom software company. As TCSI’s chairman and CEO, Mr. Strauch led the company from a start-up to a successful IPO in 1991 and secondary public offering in 1996. Prior to TCSI, he was a communications system engineer and project manager for Hughes Aircraft's (now Boeing) Space and Communications Group.

Mr. Strauch is a member of the Engineering Dean's College Advisory Boards of Cornell University and University of California at Berkeley. He is the recipient of the 2002 Wheeler Oak Meritorious Award from the University of California at Berkeley. In 2006, Mr. Strauch and his wife Dr. Julie Kulhanjian were named and honored as "Builders of Berkeley". He is Vice Chairman of the Board of Trustees for the Mathematical Sciences Research Institute in Berkeley and is on the Board of Trustees and is past President of the Berkeley Repertory Theater. Roger was the recipient of the 2010 Helen C. Barber Award from the Board of Trustees for a Trustee who serves the Berkeley Repertory Theatre with unique distinction. He is a Life Trustee of the Armenian Assembly of America.

Mr. Strauch is a member of the Madison Council, a philanthropic advisory board to the Librarian of Congress.  He is also on the Board of Trustees of the Northside Center for Child Development, a mental health social services agency in Harlem, New York City. Rager is a member of Yale Institute for Biospheric Studies External Advisory Board.

Mr. Strauch endowed the Roger A. Strauch Chair in Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences and co-founded the William Saroyan Endowment for Armenian Studies at the University of California, Berkeley. With Mr. Miller, he helped establish the Ask Jeeves Planetarium at the Chabot Space and Science Center and the Roda Theater at the Berkeley Repertory Theater, winner of the 1997 Tony Award for Outstanding Regional Theatre.

Mr. Strauch is the Chairman of the Paros Foundation which supports arts and education organizations in Armenia. Roger co-founded and was an owner of ICON Communications, a broadband ISP in Armenia utilitizing WiMax technology.

For forty years, Roger has been a licensed amateur radio operator - he holds an extra class license. His current call sign is KD6UO and it was WA1KZE.

Mr. Strauch earned a Bachelor of Science degree, with distinction, from Cornell University and Master of Science degree from Stanford University, both in electrical engineering. He holds two patents in the area of wireless communications.

About the Executive Director

Peter Abajian worked with the Armenian Assembly of America from 1995 until 2006 serving as the Director of the Armenian Assembly of America's Western Office located in Beverly Hills, California and later as Deputy Executive Director. In these capacities, Mr. Abajian worked with both the Armenian community and the Congress to promote a stronger US/Armenia relationship, while simultaneously working to expand the Armenian Assembly's membership and financial support. Nationally, he spearheaded efforts to raise new sources of revenue, organizing several successful national events, and serving as one of the organization's chief spokespeople.

During the 2006 and 2007 academic year, Mr. Abajian moved with his family to Yerevan, Armenia to formally launch the Paros Foundation and develop strong working relationships with the Paros Foundation sponsored projects.

From 1991 to 1995, Mr. Abajian worked with the San Fernando Valley Association for the Retarded--New Horizons, one of the largest facilities serving adults with developmental disabilities in Southern California. As the organization's Marketing Director, Mr. Abajian was responsible for raising funds to support the programs including residential group homes, sheltered work shop, work training and activity center programs.

1988 to 1991 Mr. Abajian worked at the Armenian Assembly's headquarters in Washington, DC serving as Director of the Assembly's Summer Intern Program. Mr. Abajian's first exposure to the Armenian Assembly came in 1986 when he served as an Intern in Washington with Senator Carl Levin (D-MI) through the Assembly's Program.

Mr. Abajian received his Bachelor of Science degree in Political Science from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor and took graduate courses in Business and Marketing at George Washington University in Washington, DC.

He and his wife, Houry, are proud parents of identical twin daughters.