Vahan Karian, Business Consultant, Chief Executive Officer, University of Michigan

Business consultant Vahan Karian oversees a cosmetic surgery center and weight loss groups in Marco Island, Florida. In philanthropic matters, Vahan Karian contributes to Terchoonian Home Orphanage.

Located in Gyumri, Armenia, Terchoonian Home Orphanage has cared for children for over a decade. It was created in 2003 by a grant from Vahan Terchoonian, a Turkish refugee who resided in Gyumri before moving to the United States. This donation, plus the volunteer efforts of people in the community, enabled the organization to transform a Soviet military headquarters that was damaged by an earthquake into a home for more than 70 youths and a staff of more than 50.

Over the past several years, Terchoonian Home Orphanage has raised money to build a high school. Teenagers and young adults face different educational and personal challenges than children, and the organization recognized the importance of developing a safe place for them to continue their studies. It will feature a library, a recreational facility, and classrooms. To donate to this cause, visit http://www.terchoonian.com.

Terchoonian Home Orphanage plans to name the facility after renowned Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink. Raised in an orphanage himself, Dink supported the orphanage and regularly visited it before being assassinated in 2007. The impact of his death continues to affect people around the world, and in June 2014 the European Court of Human Rights issued a decision ordering an investigation into the killing to determine the involvement of the Istanbul Police Department.