SOAR - Inland Empire Chapter
Inland Empire (IE) became part of the SOAR family in February 2015. IE is a metropolitan region of Southern California, situated directly east of Los Angeles. The term “Inland Empire” was first documented by the Riverside Enterprise newspaper in April 1914. Developers in the area introduced the term to promote the region and to highlight the area’s unique features. The “Inland” part of the name is derived from the region’s location, about 60 miles inland from Los Angeles and the Pacific Ocean.
The metropolitan area consists of Riverside and San Bernardino Counties. The Counties are home to more than 4 million people, and together they comprise the 13th most populous metropolitan area in the US and the 3rd most populous in California. At the end of the 19th century, IE was a major center of agriculture, including citrus, dairy, and wine-making. Agriculture declined through the 20th century, and since the 1970s a rapidly growing population, fed by families migrating in search of affordable housing, has led to more residential,
industrial, and commercial development.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS:
Vartineh Oganesian
President
Vartineh Oganesian graduated from the University of California, Riverside in 2024 with a BA in Political Science & Administrative Studies and a Concentration in Human Resources. During her time at UCR, she was on the Executive Board of the Armenian Student Association and Alpha Gamma Alpha, where she built meaningful connections within the Armenian community and contributed to cultural and educational initiatives.
Raised in the Inland Empire with deep-rooted Armenian heritage, Vartineh has always been driven by a passion for community empowerment. Her upbringing inspired a commitment to giving back locally, which led her to join SOAR, where she is excited to advance its mission and foster stronger ties within the Armenian community. With ambitions of pursuing a career in law, Vartineh remains dedicated to meaningful advocacy and service for her community.
Nareg Kaprielian
Treasurer
Nareg Kaprielian is the sales manager at a boutique brokerage firm, Huntington Mortgage, located in South Pasadena. Nareg is known for providing exemplary service to his clients and specializes in the origination, servicing and closing of mortgage loans of all sizes – from $100,000 to the multi-million dollar level. Mr. Kaprielian has closed over one billion dollars in mortgage loans since starting in 2010.
Nareg graduated from the University of Southern California with a BS in Business Administration in 2007 and received his MBA from California State University: Los Angeles in 2013.
In his free time he enjoys, hosting friends, spending time with his wife Nora, their twin sons Isaac and Philip, and their Vizsla, Rozie. Nareg’s hobbies are twofold: copious amounts of physical therapy and massage to make sure he functions at an older age, and top notch restaurant experiences!
Nora Kaprielian
Nora Y. Kaprielian is a healthcare lawyer working as corporate counsel for a biosciences company. Previously, Nora worked on healthcare litigation and regulatory matters at a national firm, representing hospital systems and smaller health care providers. She graduated Loyola Law School of Los Angeles in 2017, and UCLA in 2011 with a B.S. in Political Science.
Growing up in the Inland Empire, Nora retained her Armenian roots through active membership in Armenian organizations and is eager to continue to do so in her role with SOAR. In her free time she enjoys playing tennis, hosting friends, and spending time with her husband, their twin sons Isaac and Philip, and their Vizsla, Rozie.
Anna Mashinyan
Anna Mashinyan graduated from the American University of Armenia in 2021 with a BA in Business. She then began working for Local Express, an Armenian-American company. During her time at Local Express, she had different roles, but project management was the one that helped her become a better professional in SAAS e-commerce solutions. After Local Express, Anna started working at MSP360 as a Sales Development Representative, channeling her passion into effective customer engagement and strategic sales initiatives. In 2023, seeking to further her education, Anna relocated to California to pursue a Master of Science in Entrepreneurship and Innovation at California State University San Bernardino (CSUSB). She is currently developing her startup idea and working as a Graduate Assistant at CSUSB.
Anna has volunteered for other organizations in Armenia, including Orran Armenia and the Pan-Armenian Voluntary Union, underscoring her dedication to giving back to the Armenian community. Her life’s mission is to continually support Armenians worldwide through her professional endeavors.