Tirgan USA · August 2026

Tirgan Technology Summit Where Culture Becomes Capital

Iranian heritage as shared advantage — for the diaspora today, and Iran tomorrow

Bringing Iranians together to innovate, support one another, and turn heritage into shared advantage — one day inside one of the world's largest Iranian cultural festivals.

Orange County, CA · August 2026

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Why This Summit Exists

Our culture is our edge.
The diaspora is the proof.

For 2,500 years Iranian culture has shaped how we value education, family, excellence, and resilience. Today, that culture is our most powerful strategic asset.

Culture as Foundation

Why we succeed wherever we go

Through revolution, war, and exile, Iranian culture has endured — not as nostalgia, but as the operating system that drives Iranian achievement. The values that survive any regime are the same values that produce founders, scientists, artists, and leaders: reverence for education, fierce family bonds, hospitality, beauty, and a long memory. This is the source of our edge, and it travels with us.

Culture as Capital

How heritage becomes advantage

Iranians abroad are among the world's most educated, most entrepreneurial, and most successful diasporas. 8 million people across North America, Europe, and beyond. Half a trillion dollars in Iranian-founded enterprise value. 87% of Iranian-Americans hold a Bachelor's degree or higher. This isn't accident — it's culture, converted to capital. The Summit is where we turn that capital into a working network — bringing Iranian founders, investors, technologists, professionals, and the next generation together to innovate, support one another, and accelerate our shared success abroad.

Our next advantage is not individual success alone — it is the discipline of connecting, mentoring, investing, and building together.

8M+Iranians worldwide
$500B+Iranian-founded enterprise value
87%with Bachelor's degree+ (US)
22%Self-employment rate
15MEducated youth in Iran
300+Expected Summit attendees

What the Summit Offers

Three Pillars.
One Day.

World-class content, a live startup pitch, and an innovation and support network — all in one room.

World-Class Content

  • Keynotes on Iranian leadership in global technology
  • Panels on AI, blockchain, clean energy, and digital finance
  • Diaspora network-building strategies from proven models
  • "The Long Horizon" salon — writers, filmmakers, what comes next
  • How successful diasporas build durable networks of trust, mentorship, capital, and collaboration

Startup Pitch Competition

  • "Built by Iranians" — 5–6 startups pitch live on stage
  • Top 3 startups selected for spotlight showcase and mentorship support
  • Investor and industry leader judging panel
  • Audience voting for People's Choice Award

Innovation & Support Network

  • 300+ Iranian-American tech professionals in one room
  • Structured speed networking and mentorship matching
  • VIP evening reception with curated introductions
  • Festival after-party blending culture and connection

Who This Is For

Built for Four Audiences

Founders & Entrepreneurs

Pitch your startup. Find mentors, investors, partners, and other Iranians who want to help you win.

Tech Professionals

Connect your Iranian identity with your career ambition — and become part of a network that helps each other grow.

The Next Generation

See that your heritage is a professional advantage — and that success grows faster when we build and support each other.

Families & Community

Experience cutting-edge ideas alongside the music, food, and culture of the Tirgan Festival.

The Strategic Case

Our Strengths — On Both Sides

The Iranian story is no longer a single story. The diaspora has built extraordinary capacity abroad. Iran itself retains foundations that few countries can match. Together, they are the basis of everything that comes next.

Our Diaspora's Strengths

What 8 million Iranians have already built across North America, Europe, and beyond

8M+ Iranians worldwide
$500B+ in Iranian-founded enterprise value
87% with Bachelor's degree+ (US)
$97K median household income (US)
22% self-employment rate
500+ professors at top US universities
Hubs in SF Bay, LA, Toronto, Vancouver, London, Berlin
12 Iranian-heritage MPs in Sweden's parliament
Multi-generation depth: 2nd & 3rd gen in leadership

Iran's Foundations

What remains in place — for whenever the conditions align

15M educated STEM youth
Top 10 STEM graduates per capita
90M consumer domestic market
400M+ regional market access
Lithium & rare-earth reserves
Lowest-cost energy globally
29 UNESCO heritage sites
3,728 active startups
Existing industrial base

Summit Day

Agenda Highlights

A full day of content, conversation, and connection — full schedule released closer to the event.

Keynote

Culture meets vision

AI & Robotics

Workforce of the future

Crypto & Finance

Digital innovation

Startup Pitch

"Built by Iranians"

Build Together Lab

Mentors, founders, investors connect

VIP Reception

Networking evening

The Long Horizon

And the Bridge Home

The same network that helps Iranians flourish abroad preserves something else: a bridge home.

When the conditions in Iran allow meaningful engagement — and eventually they will — the diaspora's talent, capital, networks, and institutions will be uniquely positioned to support Iran's next chapter. We are not waiting passively. We are building the network now, so it is ready when the moment comes.

The Summit's longest horizon is this: a connected, capable global Iranian community, ready to contribute to whatever future opens for those at home. Culture today. Capital tomorrow. The bridge always.

OUR CULTUREOUR CAPITALTHE BRIDGE

Register & Location

Be the First to Know

Stay informed as the Summit takes shape.

Please register and subscribe to receive more information about the Tirgan USA Technology Summit — including event details, speaker announcements, agenda updates, ticketing, and venue information as they are confirmed.

Whether you're a founder, investor, technologist, student, or community member, this is where the diaspora gathers to build what comes next. Get on the list to be among the first invited.

Location Orange County, California
Date August 2026 — one day during the Tirgan Festival
Venue Details Specific venue, parking, and accessibility information will be shared with registered subscribers

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Get in Touch

Contact Us

Questions about the Summit, an idea for partnership, or ready to get involved? Reach the Tirgan USA Technology Summit team directly — we would love to hear from you.

General Inquiries

Questions about the Summit, attendance, or the program.

Sponsorship & Partnerships

Support the Summit as a sponsor, investor, or institutional partner.

Volunteer With Us

Join the team bringing the Summit and the Tirgan Festival to life.

Media & Press

Press inquiries, interviews, and media accreditation.

Founders and startups interested in the “Built by Iranians” pitch competition are also welcome to reach out through General Inquiries. The Tirgan USA Technology Summit is an initiative of the Tirgan Centre for Art & Culture.

"For 47 years our culture has endured. Today it becomes our strategic capital — bringing Iranians together to innovate, support one another, build futures here, and preserve the connection home."

Our Culture · Our Capital · Our Future