WCEE Lecture. From Montenegro to the Red Carpet: A Life of Giving

Emina Cunmulaj Nazarian was born in Farmington Hills, Michigan in 1984 to Albanian parents from Montenegro. She spent her childhood on a farm at the footstep of Montenegrin hills, helping with chores, earning good grades, and participating in village life. Emina has fond memories of those years, but what stands out to her was the fatalistic view of the plight of women, which motivated her to follow an atypical path. At 15, she was selected to represent Yugoslavia in a global modeling competition, leading to a successful modeling career that included appearances in Vogue, Elle, Marie Claire, and work for the fashion houses Chanel, Jean-Paul Gaultier, Valentino, Gucci, Dolce & Gabbana, Giorgio Armani, and Roberto Cavalli.

But Emina was destined to pursue philanthropy. From a young age, she witnessed her mother’s generosity as the family harbored, fed, and dressed fugitives of war during the Balkan conflict in the ’90s. As a result, Emina constantly seeks to promote humanitarian endeavors and organizations such as the Fundjavë Ndryshe, which she discovered in the summer of 2017 on a trip to rural Albania. Her involvement intensified, and in 2018 she helped secure food supplies, wood burning stoves, and new homes for needy families in Albania. Emina is currently the Chief Operating Officer of Fundjavë Ndryshe and is actively planning her next Albanian campaign this summer. Her talk will explore “the love that I give and share with those in need,” the potential for a better life for many, and how to channel our capacity for good to make the world a better place.