Tara Kangarlou is an award-winning Iranian-American journalist who has previously worked with news outlets such as NBC-LA, CNN,and Al Jazeera America. She is a frequent on-air contributor for various international news outlets covering the MENA region and global affairs and regularly writes for outlets such as TIME magazines, Al Monitor, and other digital news platforms. She has also spent much time covering the rise and fall of ISIS, the conflicts in Syria and Iraq, the unprecedented Syrian refugee crisis, as well as other pressing humanitarian issues worldwide. Born out of her extensive reporting and firsthand knowledge of the global refugee crisis, in 2016, she founded Art of Hope, the first American nonprofit that strictly focuses on supporting the mental well-being of war-torn refugees in vulnerable communities. She is also the author of the award-winning book “The Heartbeat of Iran” and is currently an Adjunct Professor at Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service teaching at the intersection of journalism and public diplomacy. Mrs. Kangarlou was born and raised in Iran until her late teens before moving to the United States. She currently splits her time between the US and UK.