Connie K. Duckworth, Founder and Chief Executive Officer
Ms. Duckworth serves pro bono as Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Arzu, Inc; and is an active member of the U.S.-Afghan Women’s Council, a bi-partisan public/private partnership established by Presidents Bush and Karzai in 2002. She is a retired Partner and Managing Director of Goldman, Sachs, & Co., where she was named the first woman sales and trading partner in the firm’s history during her 20 year career. Her book, a primer on how to start a business entitled, The Old Girls Network: Insider Advice for Women Building Businesses in a Man’s World (Basic Books 2003), was published in September 2003.  Ms. Duckworth is the immediate past Chairman of the Board of NorthShore University HealthSystem, in Evanston, Illinois, and is the first woman to have held this position. Ms. Duckworth serves as a Director of the following companies: Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company; Smurfit Stone Container Corporation; Russell Investment Group; and DNP Select Income Fund. She serves on the Board of Overseers of the Wharton School, the Board of Directors of Global Heritage Fund in Palo Alto;  and the Advisory Board of the Duke Islamic Studies Center in Durham, North Carolina. She is a past Chair of the Committee of 200, the organization of leading women entrepreneurs and corporate business executives in the U.S.

The recipient of numerous awards, Ms. Duckworth was named a 2008 Skoll Foundation honoree for Social Entrepreneurship and received the 2006 Women’s Health and Dignity Award from Americans for UNFPA for her work creating sustainable income generation opportunities for women weavers in Afghanistan. 

She holds an M.B.A. from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and a B.A. from the University of Texas.

Suzana Rizzo serves as the Vice President of Retail Sales and Operations. Prior to joining Arzu, she successfully started a full service salon in Niles, Illinois and served as General Manager overseeing business operations for five years. Previously, she worked as a Volunteer Relations Intern at Ravinia Festival, in Highland Park, Illinois where she played a significant role in organizing fundraisers and benefit events. In addition, Ms. Rizzo has extensive volunteer experience at Children’s Memorial Hospital and for philanthropies, such as Misrecordia and Camp Heartland. She holds a M.B.A. from DePaul University Chicago and a B.S. from Loyola University Chicago. 

 

Angela Attento serves as Arzu's Creative Director, overseeing new product design and development and all other graphic endeavors. Before joining Arzu, Angela worked as the Art Director at Odegard developing new designs, advising on finishing and quality control, and directing all graphic design and print production of materials. She was also actively involved in assisting RugMark and their goal of ending illegal child labor. Previously, she spent a number of years working in advertising for Crispin Porter and Bogusky, starting off as an intern in their collateral division, then as a full-time Production Assistant and finally as the Assistant to the Chairman. Angela attended Savannah College of Art and Design where she studied Fibers and Sculpture.

 

 

Razia Jan, Program Director
Razia serves as Arzu's Deputy Program Director, overseeing education and health care programs in Afghanistan. For many years, Razia Jan has worked to forge connections between people in the United States and Afghanistan.  She began by rallying her community to send over 400 homemade blankets to rescue workers at Ground Zero. Her efforts expanded to include sending care packages to our troops in Afghanistan and, through her involvement in the military's Operation Shoefly, she has coordinated the delivery of over 30,000 pairs of shoes to needy Afghan children. In 2005, with the help of the Duxbury Rotary Club, Razia began raising funds to build a school for girls outside of Kabul.  Thanks to many generous donations, the Zabuli Education Center for Women and Girls opened it doors to 200 girls in March 2008.
Born in Afghanistan, Razia moved to the United States in 1970. A member of the Interfaith Council, No Place for Hate, and on the Board of Directors at Jordan Hospital,Razia received many awards for her humanitarian work, including the 2007 Woman of Excellence award from Germaine Lawrence Inc.
  

Carolyn Rulong serves as Business Analyst for Arzu. Prior to joining Arzu, Carolyn worked in the commercial real estate industry and is experienced in sale and financial analysis of investment properties. She spent almost two years working at a Chicago brokerage firm as part of an investment sales team and a year with a Chicago Real Estate Investment Trust as a due diligence analyst. Carolyn attended Northwestern University and earned a B.A. in Economics. As an undergraduate, Carolyn interned with Arzu during the Summer of 2005.  

 

Gina Watters serves as Arzu's Program and Logistics Coordinator.  After graduating from Michigan State University with a B.A. in Communications and Public Relations, Gina moved to Chicago and took a position in advertising sales at Forbes Magazine.  Gina volunteers regularly with Chicago Cares and is particularly focused on issues facing women and children.

 

Kim Ward worked as a Volunteer for ten years at High Hopes Therapeutic Riding Center, a not-for-profit that serves people with physical, psychological and emotional disabilities.  Because of her role working directly with the High Hopes Director and her extensive experience in planning charity events, she was asked to be on the host committee for the 1995 Special Olympics World Games, Equestrian Competition.  Ms. Ward then worked at Siren Public Relations in New York City where she was the Executive Assistant to the President. Now residing in Chicago, Ms. Ward serves as the Executive Assistant to Connie Duckworth, Founder and President of Arzu, as well as the Director of Human Resources.  

Armen Minasian, Adviser
Armen S. Minasian joined his family’s third generation Oriental rug business in 1970, and leads the company’s retail, wholesale and Rug Care Services divisions. Under his direction, the company acquired design and manufacturing facilities in Romania for the creation of antique carpet adaptations on an exclusive licensing agreement with the Art Institute of Chicago and the Vatican Museums. 
Named “Retailer of the Year” by the floor covering industry, Minasian is a former board member of the Oriental Rug Retailers Association and an active member of the Oriental Rug Importers Association. He serves on the Trustee-appointed board of the Art Institute of Chicago’s textiles committee and as an officer of its Textile Society. Additionally, Minasian was named a Knight Commander of the Order of Saint Gregory the Great by His Holiness Pope John Paul II in recognition of his support of charitable organizations.   
An active member of the Evanston/Chicago business community, Minasian has served on the boards of the McGaw YMCA, Evanston Art Center, Levy Senior Citizens Center and Evanston Historical Society. Additionally, he is a member of Northwestern University Associates, a longtime patron of the Northwestern University Athletics department, and an underwriter of the Youth Arts Center of Evanston.

Carnig Minasian has traveled extensively throughout the world’s rug producing countries, and is in demand as a lecturer at art museums and historical societies across the Midwest. He directs the retail sales division of his third generation family firm and is a certified Oriental rug appraiser with over 30 years of experience in fine oriental rugs and carpets. Carnig has also led workshops and seminars on Oriental rug history and lore at Francis Parker School and Chicago Latin School. 
In January 2001, he was appointed to the Advisory Council for The Textile Museum in Washington DC, an internationally recognized collection and center of textile study and research, a post he still retains today. Carnig teaches both introductory and advanced courses on Oriental rugs at Northwestern University for their Fine Arts and Connoisseurship program.  Last month he was the key-note speaker on Oriental rugs at the International convention for the American Society of Appraisers.