Introducing our Board of Directors
Dr. Guita Movallali
Founder & Chair of Board of Directors
Kellina Powell
Public Relations &
Marketing Director
Dr. Bahram Malakooti
Chief Medical Director
Marjan Moshajari
Treasurer
Fahimeh Jalilikhoei
Outreach, Membership, Director
Dana Cohen
AV/Listening and Spoken
Language Consultant
Guita Movalali
Guita Movallali is an international educator and advocate with over 30 years of experience in early intervention, family support, and nonprofit leadership. She holds a Ph.D. in Psychology and has spent more than 20 years in academia. Guita has led major initiatives for parents of deaf and hard of hearing children, including developing storytelling and dialogic book-reading programs in both spoken and sign languages in Iran.
She has edited and translated dozens of books on deafness and disability, organized numerous trainings and conferences, and developed Persian Cued Speech. Her work earned her the 2016 Educator Award for Excellence and Innovative Leadership from the National Cued Speech Association (NCSA).
Guita played a leading role in bringing the Family-Centered Early Intervention (FCEI) approach to Iran and continues this advocacy in Canada. She founded Parvaneha, the first Iranian parent organization for families of deaf children, and is one of the leaders of the Deaf Leadership International Alliance (DLIA).
Since moving to Canada in 2021, she has continued her work through VOICE and by launching the first Parent-Child Mother Goose Program for parents with deaf children in Toronto. Her commitment to early intervention and community empowerment led her to establish Faranak Impact Inc. in 2024 and Faranak Foundation in 2025, supporting deaf and hard of hearing children and their families.
Bahram Malakooti
Bahram Malakooti, MD, serves as the Chief Medical Director of Faranak Foundation. He is a Pediatric ENT specialist with over 20 years of academic and clinical expertise in pediatric otorhinolaryngology. With over 40 years of surgical practice in Iran, Dr. Malakooti has extensive clinical and academic insight and has been dedicated to supporting deaf and hard-of-hearing children since 1998. His deep commitment to the field and wealth of experience drive his work at Faranak Impact Inc. to create positive change for children and their families.
Kellina Powell
Kellina Powell is a Deaf coach, best-selling author, and international speaker dedicated to empowering young adults with disabilities to pursue their goals with confidence. Through her company, Kellina’s Empowerment Inc., she educates communities about the Deaf experience while promoting mental health, inclusion, and resilience. Featured on over 200 podcasts and multiple bestselling books, Kellina inspires others to break barriers and embrace their unique journey
Fahimeh JalilKhoei
Fahimeh Jalilikhoei holds a Master’s degree in School Counseling and a background in Social Work. After discovering her hearing loss later in young adulthood, she immigrated to Canada in 2022 with a strong determination to advocate for children and families navigating similar challenges. Fahimeh has worked as a high school mathematics teacher in Toronto and has supported diverse communities as an Early Childhood Educator Assistant and Personal Support Worker. She has also volunteered with Catholic Community Services of York Region (CCSYR) and at the inaugural Faranak Foundation event.
Dana Cohen
Dana Cohen, MEd, OCT, LSLS Cert AVT, is a Specialist Teacher for Students who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing and a Listening and Spoken Language Specialist. For the past 40 years, she has worked as an educator, coordinator, consultant, therapist and mentor supporting infants, preschool and school age children with hearing loss and their families. She provides services in homes, clinics and school settings, using a coordinated, family-centered approach from diagnosis to early intervention and school support. She has contributed to several publications and workshops related to LSL, and works with the Global Foundation for Children with Hearing Loss to improve LSL outcomes for children in developing countries.
Marjan Moshajari
Marjan Moshajari is a Hard of Hearing professional with over 16 years of experience in accounting and financial management in Iran. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting from Azad University (Central Tehran) and expanded her credentials after immigrating to Canada in 2011, completing the ELT Program in Accounting and later earning her Professional Tax Preparation Certificate from H&R Block in 2023.
Marjan is deeply committed to using her financial expertise to support organizations that create meaningful impact—especially those serving deaf and hard of hearing children and their families.
