Creative strategist · Artist advocate · Professional plot-twist collector
I’m Darya—an American-Iranian creative working across music, entertainment, social strategy, and original storytelling. I spot what has momentum, find the human angle, and build the idea people want to join.
See theSelected work / 01—06
Original IP · Podcast · Creative Direction
A candid entertainment platform built around the belief that a series of bad decisions can make great stories. I shape the concept, talent conversations, episode arcs, visual identity, and social moments—turning my life into a format with room for culture, comedy, and community.
Political Campaign · Social Strategy
Built a “campaign meets creator” content approach for a first-time Connecticut State Representative candidate: polished, never stiff; informative, never boring. The strategy translated policy into human stories through neighborhood mapping, candid reels, countdowns, and accessible calls to action.
Music · Booking · Artist Development
Represented emerging artists across indie pop, punk, alternative, and hip-hop. I translated artist identity into venue pitches, built relationships with buyers, managed holds and offers, and handled the operational details behind live opportunities.
A&R · Editorial Content
An ongoing short-form series built on one instinct: find the artist before the algorithm makes the introduction for you. Each feature connects an emerging artist’s sound to a specific feeling, fan, or cultural moment—and makes discovery feel personal.
Music Community · Recruitment
Helped emerging music professionals find their way into the Recording Academy community through peer-led recruitment, industry access, and advocacy. The work sharpened my belief that talent development starts with making the room feel reachable.
Culture · Fashion · Field Notes
NYFW coverage, entertainment interviews, premieres, live shows, and the accidental anthropology of starting over in New York. I use access and curiosity to document how culture moves—and where brands, artists, and audiences can meet inside it.
About / the throughline
My work lives where entertainment, identity, and audience behavior overlap.
I grew up in the Bay Area as the daughter of Iranian immigrants, studied business alongside film, television, and global culture, and moved to New York to build a career with range. Booking taught me how to advocate. Marketing taught me how to position. Podcasting and stand-up taught me when the most specific truth is also the most universal.
I’m drawn to emerging artists, ambitious ideas, and teams that want someone who can move between insight and execution without losing the human part.
What I’m looking for
Open to creative strategy, artist development, entertainment marketing, and culture-first collaborations in New York and beyond.