FAST Advance Armenia Gala Raises $1 Million for AI Education in Armenia

LOS ANGELES — The Foundation for Armenian Science and Technology (FAST) hosted its 3rd Annual Advance Armenia Gala on December 6 at the Landmark in Mission Hills, uniting more than 300 guests from the Armenian community, including entrepreneurs, industry leaders, academics, philanthropists and global visionaries based in the United States around its flagship initiative, the Generation AI High School Project.

Launched in 2023 in collaboration with Armenia’s Ministry of Education, Science, Culture, and Sports, Generation AI is a three-year program that provides a free, comprehensive curriculum in Advanced Math, Python, and AI fundamentals to high school students, nurturing the next generation of innovators and creators nationwide.

Following the success of FAST’s Gala in Paris, the Los Angeles event further strengthened the momentum, securing additional funding to support 185 more Generation AI students in their three-year educational journey. The Gevorgyants Family, Sarkis and Nune Sepetjians and the Vahe Fattal Foundation, with their donations, have ensured the implementation of the project over the next three years in three high schools in Armenia. A special tribute was made to honor Sonia Akian, with the Generation AI initiative at Martuni High School After T. Abrahamyan, named in her memory, recognizing the Zaven P. Akian family’s legacy and commitment to education.

Co-chaired by Alice Petrossian, an education management professional with a legacy of leadership in California’s educational systems, and Elizabeth Zoryan, a healthcare advocate and community activist, the gala was driven by the vision of advancing AI education across Armenia. The event drew notable supporters, including Araksya Karapetyan, Emmy Award-winning anchor at FOX11’s “Good Day L.A,” and Grandmaster Levon Aronian.

One of the key parts of the event was a fireside chat featuring Dr. Noubar Afeyan, co-founder of FAST, founder and CEO of Flagship Pioneering, and co-founder and chairman of Moderna, alongside Nina Achadjian, a partner at Index Ventures, who works with innovative companies like ServiceTitan, Gong, Vizcom and Intercom. Both speakers emphasized the transformative potential of AI in Armenia, highlighting the numerous opportunities it presents for the country’s future and expressing confidence in Armenia’s chance to become a key player in the global tech world.

Dr. Armen Orujyan, FAST’s outgoing CEO, who will soon transition to the Board of Trustees, reflected on his seven-year journey with the foundation and highlighted the strength of the community that has gathered around FAST’s vision, while Suzanna Shamakhyan, the incoming Executive Director of FAST, summarized the first 1.5 years of the program and plans for the future: “The program is now active in seven regions and 15 high schools, impacting 540 students. Seventy percent of those students entered the program with a knowledge gap. After just one academic year, half of these students doubled their results. Not only did they close the gap, but many also succeeded in 10th grade — an impressive outcome in such a short time.”