We had the good fortune of connecting with Yeva Manucharyan and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Yeva, what do you attribute your success to?
There are several factors that contribute to my success. Passions for the brand, knowledge of the subject matter, good work ethics, creativity/innovative thinking and empathy. Passion gives me the desire for me to share what I’m doing with the world. Knowledge in the subject matter helps me organize my content and product line according to what my client’s needs are. Good work ethic is crucial in setting goals, prioritizing and accomplishing your work efficiently. Creativity is the key driver, which sparks new ideas in creating new artwork in various visual languages. Innovation helps me develop my brand beyond the conventional means and build for the future, using the latest technological advancements as tools. Empathy is the last straw of the process, yet the most important. At the end of the day, when you put your head to the pillow, do you feel good about what you’ve accomplished that day? Ultimately the peace that I have in my mind and heart comes from knowing that I have helped someone and have given back to the community. This is why donating some of our proceeds to a non-profit is so important to our company.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
I started AnahitCo in 2019. I had just lost my mother to cancer and wanted to honor her legacy and create something that would preserve her positive spirit, love for her culture and benevolent nature. I named the company AnahitCo, after her and started creating artwork that represented the Armenian culture in a positive, creative and innovative way. I created an online store and I started with one product, an Armenian Legends and Tales Calendar. Over the past few years, I have expanded to having over 400 products and 6 collections.

The thing I’m most proud and excited about is AnahitCo’s recent collaborative project called “Ellipsis”, with @Artsakh.Art from Armenia. This project gave us an opportunity to work with some great like-minded people and helped support digital artists from around the world. “Ellipsis” was an Augmented Reality Digital Art Exhibit, which took place in July in Los Angeles, CA. We brought together digital artists from around the world and fine artists living in Los Angeles. The Augmented Reality aspect of the show came to fruition through our partnership with and AR/VR company called Arloopa. Arloopa is used as a visualization tool to bring the physical and digital worlds together as one. It places virtual content into the real environment, creating innovative, interactive and magical experiences. This innovative element enhances the artworks and products using the artwork by blending art and technology. The audience can use their smartphones/tablets like 3D glasses to see static flat images come to life through motion, sound or video, creating an unforgettable immersive experience.

We also launched location-based AR Showrooms, with select works from the exhibit along with a documentary video about the projected in 10 cities around the world. The original mission behind this idea was to help support young artists, by providing them a platform to share their art and reach new audiences. This being a passion project, we also donated half of the proceeds from the sales of all artwork and merchandise to the wounded veterans of Armenia.  Additionally, these AR Galleries created a virtual bridge between the various communities around the word. People still connect, share art & culture through these Augmented Reality Rooms in Los Angeles, US; Montreal, Canada; Santiago, Chile; London, England; Brussels, Belgium; St. Petersburg, Russia; Yerevan, Armenia; Gyumri, Armenia, Burastan Village, Armenia and Stepanakert, Artsakh.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
It depends on a person’s taste, but if they decided to go along with my taste, I would make sure they wouldn’t regret it. I would start with brunch every day to places like Lady Bird Cafe, Plate 38 and Millie’s Cafe. The day would evolve to taking a trip to a local outdoor walk/museum setting like The Huntington Library in Pasadena, or Ghetty Center or the Ghetty Villas. An afternoon coffee would follow at Philz Coffee (Iced Mint Mohito), or Lavender & Honey (Lavender Latte). The evening would start with some relaxing and refreshing at home or just chillaxing at a bookstore (Vromen’s in Pasadena). Then dinner and drinks in either Downtown LA, on Ventura in Sherman Oaks or Hollywood, CA. Of course, one of the days would be dedicated to a pure beach day, of exploring the Naples Island canals in Long Beach and riding the ferry at the Balboa Island and taking a bike ride along the coast. Another day would be dedicated to the thrilling rides of Disneyland and a day would be dedicated to just hanging out at home, over some great Armenian barbecue, homemade food & drinks and good friends.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
First and foremost, my family is a huge supporter of what I do and I’m so grateful to them for the dedication to in helping me build this brand. There are many people who have encouraged, supported and helped me through my journey, but the most recent that come to mind are 3 people. Shoushan Keshsisian is an enthusiastic, well rounded and brave soul, that I’ve had the pleasure of collaborating with for a recent Art Exhibit that we put together in Glendale, CA called “Ellipsis”. We have a shared passion for the arts, culture and serving the community. We came together through the “Ellipsis” project, but have decided to continue working together and create new platforms to share Art & Culture. She’s modest, hardworking, dynamic, positive, level headed and inspiring. I’m grateful to her for sharing this journey of making our dreams into reality. She’s presently directing an NGO called ArtsakhHub, which helps new startups.
The second person is my friend Leo Marti. He’s a big dreamer and has helped me dream big, have courage to take risks and stay positive. His support has helped me become a better version of myself and grow stronger as a person.

The third person is Arman Atoyan from @Arloopa. Arman is a visionary, an innovator, a spirited entrepreneur and also a great role model. As a Chief Wizard of Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) app Arloopa, he helps with advanced AR services and bringing the magic of AR to life. We recently worked with Arman & his team on launching the Ellipsis Augmented Reality Gallery Portal in 10 cities around the world. The one in LA is at the Amreicana in Glendale. You can virtually enter this gallery and see artwork by artists from around the world through the use of the Arloopa app on your smart device. Our mission was to create a virtual bridge between the art lovers and various communities and connect artists to new audiences worldwide. His team also helped us create our first AR artworks and merchandise.

Website: www.anahitco.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/anahit.co/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AnahitCo/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCX1ivkvsZzILlXEsjtlXT5Q

Other: TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@anahitco Email: anahitco@yahoo.com

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