Co-Founder/ President  Varoujan Amirkhanian is an Entrepreneurial Leader, inventor and an effective Executive Officer with broad experience who excels in a fast-paced, start-up culture with the proven ability to lead change and drive best practices to increase organizational effectiveness and efficiency. Varoujan has extensive technical R&D and Operations background in biotechnology, consumer, medical device and growth-oriented businesses. He was co-founder, EVP & BOD of eGene, Inc. a publicly traded NASDAQ company which was acquired successfully through an M&A in 2007. He is also BOD and Technical Consultant for BiOptic, Inc. in Taipei/Taiwan developing a new Biotech instrument to be commercialized for Clinical Diagnostic applications in US soon.

Varoujan is a Spirit filled Christian with strong faith and integrity who listens to his own heart in all acts of life and believes it is the voice of God. I know that doing what is right is not the easiest path to take. But in the end, it is the right path to take because being true and honest to my inner self gives me the power to know I am leading my life with God at my side and I grow spiritually.

“And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.” Romans 8:28

Varoujan holds a B.A. degree in Physics & Math from Houghton and a B.S. degree in Industrial Engineering from ITT. He has published numerous technical papers and holds over 20 US & foreign patents.

Varoujan has solid background and in-depth expertise in:

• Executive Management in Operations and R&D
• Expertise in Business Development and Marketing of innovative technologies
• Strategic planning and direction
• Fund raising and M&A transactions
• Inventor of new breakthrough & innovative technologies, applications and processes
• Management and Board level experience
• He is an outdoorsman whose hobbies are hiking, mountain climbing, back packing, running and Mixed Martial Arts.

Co-Founder/ Vice President Edward Kudaverdian, Ph.D.,    is the founder and Executive Director of Ark Family Center, Inc. a non-profit organization founded in 1999 serving the community with Mental Health and Educational Services with a focus on enhancing Emotional Intelligence.

In 1999 he earned two Master of Arts degrees in Psychology with emphasis on Marriage and Family Therapy and Organizational Behavior.  In 2002 Dr. Kudaverdian earned his Doctoral degree in Clinical Psychology.

Dr. Kudaverdian has pioneered and published research into the “Effects of Genocide on Children of survivors and their own offspring.”  He has also published research about stress in organizational environment and in introduced new strategies and concepts of how to deal with stress.

As a result of his published research Dr. Kudaverdian designed the Create Freedom and Awareness Seminar as well as other programs for youth and adults. 
Dr. Kudaverdian’s goal is to continue to design and provide education that does not merely impact knowledge, but rather alters the very nature of what is possible in being human.  The seminars educate and train people to generate groundbreaking thinking. 

His commitment is to assist each participant to gain self-awareness, which he believes assists people to live a life of choice. By doing so, participants are able to create lives free of past trauma and unhealthy behaviors that have been passed down from generation to generation.

As the co-founder of Ararat717 he is excited to finally have his life long vision become a reality.  His commitment is to bring awareness about Ark’s historical significance, build an Ark Park with a Museum.

Dr. Kudaverdian from a young age has felt a very strong connection to the Mount Ararat and Noah’s Ark.  With this new project He stands to generate revolutionary global responsibility in a celebration of diversity that honors the human spirit.  He feels that making a difference honors the integrity of the human sprit and fulfills the possibility of being alive.