Mandana Dayani is the creator and co-founder of I am a voter., a national, nonpartisan voting organization.
In 2018, immediately upon witnessing the child separation policy at the border, Mandana brought together 20 women around a table to launch I am a voter. Since launching, the organization has generated billions of media impressions and has partnered with hundreds of brands shaping culture across entertainment, fashion, beauty, tech, and sports, including NBA, Disney, Bumble, Starbucks, NFL, H&M, ABC, Fox, McDonalds, CFDA, Urban Outfitters, CAA, Tory Burch, and iHeartMedia. Mandana also founded Register a Friend Day, which has partnered with hundreds of influencers, student organizations, and companies to register voters across America. The organization has been extremely effective in leveraging digital-first registration tools, nonpartisan facts, and engaging content, to inspire young voters, resulting in their highest turnout levels in decades.
Mandana began her career as a corporate attorney at Paul Hastings. She then worked as a commercial talent agent before joining Rachel Zoe, Inc., where she led and launched the company’s consumer products, media, and strategic investment businesses. After six years, Mandana joined EBTH as Chief Brand Officer, raising $84 million in venture capital. In 2020, she co-created and hosted The Dissenters podcast with Debra Messing, highlighting the journeys of 20 of their heroes in an effort to inspire activism in others. She was most recently President of Archewell, the production, audio, and philanthropic company founded by Prince Harry and Meghan, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex. She is the Founder of The Learning Series, an event series for women, and an active angel investor through Garde Ventures.
Mandana earned her JD from the USC Gould School of Law and her BA from the University of Southern California. She is an immigrant from Iran and lives in Los Angeles with her husband and their two daughters; she credits her experience immigrating to the United States as a religious refugee as one of the most formative inspirations behind her activism.