5 Questions for a Brunonian: Mentor and Finance Expert Laya Khadjavi ’84, P’23

In terms of your career, why do you do what you do?

I have spent more than 35 years in financial services, most of it in traditional finance. I spent 23 years at Morgan Stanley, an incredible firm that provided me with the foundation of how global finance operates and, more recently, in fintech, focusing on democratizing access to the nascent world of the digital assets space and blockchain technology. What has always driven me is my passion for being a pioneer in a field, for taking an idea or vision and turning it into a scalable and impactful reality. I’ve done so by combining my skills with a strong intuitive sense and a strategic mindset in pushing new frontiers, innovating financial products, and opening new markets.

Why Brown?

I fell in love with Brown the minute I stepped foot on campus during A Day on College Hill (ADOCH) without anyone accompanying me. I was 17 years old, had emigrated to the U.S. in 1978 following the Iranian Revolution, hardly spoke English, and had no idea what a college experience was meant to be. On that sunny spring day in 1980, Brown had me at “Hello.” The warmth of the people I met during my visit and the comfort of an unpretentious campus with an academically rigorous environment made me feel at home. I was attracted by the Open Curriculum and the academic freedom it gave me, but to be honest, I didn’t really grasp its power until much later. I ended up getting a bachelor of science in Applied Mathematics-Economics and completed the requirements for a bachelor of arts in French Literature. Away from academics, Brown gave me some of my biggest life lessons: Take risks, be interdisciplinary and multidimensional, find intertextuality amongst subject matters, look for white spaces, accept people’s differences, understand that collaboration and competition are not mutually exclusive, be kind, help others, and cherish the diversity of your friendships. It’s not surprising that some of my best and closest friends are my Brown friends!

What has been most rewarding about your volunteer work for Brown?

In the early 2000s, the University approached me to help start a Farsi language program, since the language is my mother tongue. This request stemmed from a petition signed by approximately 100 students who wanted Farsi to be taught at Brown. I was excited that students had proactively initiated this effort. Long story short, the five-year Farsi language program developed into Brown’s Iranian Studies program at the Watson Institute’s Center for Middle East Studies (CMES). I have been a member of the Advisory Board of CMES since 2015.

I am also a staunch supporter of women’s causes, and I was truly honored to be asked to join the Women's Leadership Council (WLC). My service on the Council has been one of the most rewarding volunteer roles I’ve had in my life because I am able to empower women of diverse backgrounds through mentoring, networking, and philanthropic engagement. I’m especially proud to have been one of the founders of the Brown Women’s Network, which has grown from a concept in 2017 to what is now a content-rich and inclusive program reaching over 40,000 alumnae, students, faculty, and staff.

Whether it’s the WLC or the CMES, what’s most gratifying about my involvement is making positive and tangible impacts on individual lives, while building long-lasting and meaningful relationships at many levels: students, alumni, parents, faculty, and University leadership.

What advice would you give to students looking to pursue careers in finance?

I may be biased, but I believe that finance is still very attractive as a long-term career or as a stepping stone to other opportunities. My advice to students is to view it as a strategic decision, an investment in their future, and an experience that not only teaches them the quantitative and qualitative skills of the profession but also tests their level of tenacity, resilience, grit, and humility while facing challenges, failures, and taking risks. For me personally, it was my 35 years in traditional finance that gave me the courage to pivot to the new world of fintech, blockchain, and cryptocurrency.

How has mentorship been a part of your academic and professional journey?

I am a big believer in having personal interests outside of work and family or social affairs. It creates a balance in one’s life through independence and interdependence. The optionality you create through nurturing your interests can feel empowering, but when you get to the essence of it, it’s all about the impact you can have. I feel truly blessed to have been born and raised in a privileged setting, but life taught me a hard lesson after the Iranian Revolution: You can’t take anything for granted. You should cherish what you have and help others to achieve their potential.

Mentorship has been a big part of my life, both as a mentee and a mentor. During my academic and professional life, I’ve had many mentors who guided me, but my first and most influential one was my father who, through unconditional yet tough love, taught me the fundamental lessons in life: Respect and love for oneself and others, the importance of a great education and hard work, and the value of independence, especially as a woman. I have tried to reciprocate by mentoring individuals across all walks of my life: students, colleagues, young and adult immigrants, and others. Making a positive impact in their lives has been truly rewarding but it’s the reciprocity of the mentor/mentee relationship that makes the experience unique. I have gained from my mentees as much if not more than what I believe I have brought to them.

Extra credit question:

As a parent of a rising senior, what has it been like to see your daughter experience Brown?

I have relived my Brown experience through my daughter’s lens. Sharing similar and new experiences together, rediscovering the University’s unique academia, campus, and community life, and benefiting from that special bond we have developed independently and together with our beloved Brown have been exhilarating. She has had an amazing three years so far and although graduating is exciting, she is already sad about leaving Brown. I feel the same, but I know that both she and I will remain very involved with our alma mater for as long as we can.

Laya Khadjavi is the global head of business development and client relations at Menai Financial Group, a global institution specializing in digital assets, and a board member of GoldenTree ABS Management. Khadjavi was COO, head of strategy and business development at ICE Canyon, an investment management firm specializing in emerging markets, from 2012-2016. Previously, she was a managing director at Morgan Stanley, where she held a succession of senior management positions during her 23-year tenure after beginning her career at Salomon Brothers.

Khadjavi holds a bachelor of science in Applied Mathematics-Economics from Brown, where she also completed the requirements for a bachelor of arts in French Literature. She received her MBA from Columbia University. At Brown, Khadjavi is a member of the Women's Leadership Council, where she served as co-chair from 2018 to 2021, and is a member of the Middle East Studies Advisory Council. She is also a trustee of the Institute of International Education and a member of the Iranian American Women Foundation’s board of advisors and the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Ancient Near East Art Department’s visiting committee. In 2008, Khadjavi received the Ellis Island Medal of Honor Award.