SOAR - Fiji Chapter
Fiji joined the SOAR family in April 2024. The first inhabitants of Fiji came from Melanesia, who arrived 3,500 years ago and established a hierarchal society based on clans. At that time, most of the population lived in the southeast of the main island, Viti Levu. Although Europeans first passed by the Fijian Islands in 1643, it was not until 1792 that English Captain William Blough set foot in the region. Other European states quickly sought commercial interest in the islands, attracted by the fertile space that was primed for cotton plantations. In 1966, the British introduced a new constitution that protected Fijian land rights, gave Fijian chiefs a veto in political matters, and introduced an electoral system in which voters were classified according to their ethnicity. A few years later, in 1970, Fiji became a fully sovereign and independent nation. Diplomatic relations between Armenia and Republic of the Fiji Islands were established on June 7, 2010.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS:
Lauren Kulhanjian Conrow
President
Bay-Area native Lauren Kulhanjian Conrow holds a degree in Business Administration, with a concentration in Social Impact. She currently serves as an Economic Development Advisor for the Peace Corps, where she collaborates with indigenous-leaders to further entrepreneurial activity, financial knowledge, and project design + management skills within an ecosystem of village communities.
Additionally, Lauren is an experienced brand-strategist, with her expertise being aligning brands with their core brand ‘ethos’. She believes brands have a unique opportunity, and a responsibility, to build community through intentional missions.
She has participated in five, month-long service projects in Armenia that included renovating schools, distributing humanitarian supplies, and mentoring orphan children. In her free time, Lauren also enjoys time spent in nature, writing, live music and cultural explorations.