Q&A with Naira Paronikyan
Naira Paronikyan graduated from AUA in 2021 with a degree in management. In 2018, she was a member of an EPIC incubator startup team. She participated in the 2019 EPIC Silicon Valley 10-day Industry tour. She has now joined the Armenia Transformation Strategy (ATS) team under the Office of the Prime Minister of Armenia. ATS comprises local experts charged with the development of the high-level 2050 umbrella strategy for the country. The initiative is led by the RA Government which places a major emphasis on embracing transformative, non-standard projects that would produce a multiplicative positive impact on the country.
In addition, Naira is engaged in a biotech startup called Bioscope. It is a non-invasive, portable diagnostic device for early detection of diseases, such as cancer. It is currently in clinical trials.
How did you end up in your current job? What was your career trajectory after graduating from AUA?
I received my master’s degree in strategic management in June 2021, though I had completed the coursework and my capstone project in 2020. Right after I was done with my graduate studies, I received an email from the AUA Master of Science in Management Program chair Dr. Vardan Baghdasaryan about a program which would provide me with design thinking and research skills while contributing to our country. I got this email during the 2020 Artsakh war, when doing something useful for my country was my biggest desire,so I jumped right in. I was actively engaged in the program, during which we worked on developing the concept of innovative projects and presented them to government officials and various other clients. Upon completion of this program, I was invited to an interview and received a job offer at ATS.
What are the challenges and joys of your current job?
The main challenge is overcoming my lack of practical experience in strategic management, however, I work with people with 20 years of experience in the field and learn every single day. I have the chance to learn and practice what I learn right away and sometimes I have to push myself to complete tasks that I have never done before, which for sure contributes to growth and personal development.
What was your experience with EPIC? Please share with us your startup experiences and tour of Silicon Valley.
First of all, I am thankful to AUA for creating a constructive and inspiring environment for its students, where they are encouraged to come up with innovative ideas, develop, and realize them. The first startup in which I took part is directly attributed to the supportive AUA environment. In one of my courses, a friend came up with a creative way of managing food waste and asked me to join her to develop this idea into a startup. We enrolled in the EPIC Incubation Program which made our first startup experience fascinating. We attended lectures, heard many success stories, asked for advice, and were guided by professionals throughout the whole startup process. We received real support, which helped us gain confidence and take bigger steps, pitch and participate in competitions and acceleration programs, and learn more throughout our journey. One of the greatest opportunities I received was the opportunity to visit Silicon Valley in the summer of 2019. We talked to people in the food industry, investors, and other stakeholders, took part in lectures, including in companies like Google and Facebook. This changed the way I looked at things. It was an invaluable experience for an entrepreneur like me. Even though our first startup wasn’t successful in the Armenian market, I was so inspired by the trek that I continued working on startups and founded a new startup, Bioscope, which I think has a huge potential.
What advice would you give to your younger self that could also inspire young participants at EPIC?
I was very engaged, excited, and active during the whole program, but I would advise myself to read even more, to not be afraid to ask questions, and to approach people for advice and help. An entrepreneur should always grow personally and be like a sponge: ask, learn, practice, test, and move forward.
What are your future plans?
My goal is to contribute to the development of my country, because it is the only way we will ensure our security in the region. I plan to work on other initiatives like ATS, which are necessary for Armenia’s development and pursue my career in social entrepreneurship with the purpose of helping people.
Name three skills you learned at EPIC and have integrated them into your career.
Teamwork, which is part of my work style.
Public speaking and presentation (communication) skills, which are essential both for making presentations on behalf of the team to stakeholders and the broader public, and also for my startup Bioscope.
Strategic thinking and problem solving skills,which I wish to master to forge ahead in my career.
What has been the one critical lesson in your career path that you acquired thanks to your EPIC experience?
If you have a brilliant idea and you believe in it, you know how to make it work and make it a reality, nothing and no one can stop you. You should be humble, take a lot of advice, analyze, list all the possible risks, and learn to manage those. If, after all of this, you still think that your idea is great, you should pursue it, even if others say it’s not worth it. Follow your heart, but take your brain with you.