Unfortunately and due to unforeseen circumstances, this event has been cancelled.

Please join us for a unique event featuring Sava Lelcaj-Farah, Gjina Lucaj, and Emina Cunmulaj Nazarian, three successful and charismatic Albanian women from Michigan who will share their stories as innovators and role models in their communities. They will discuss their dedication to profession and family, and the common experiences that shaped and inspired them on their varied routes to success. By challenging traditional boundaries placed on women, each has forged a new path to realize her vision, while never losing sight of the culture and traditions that shaped her individual journey.

Sava Lelcaj-Farah is the founder and CEO of SavCo Hospitality, the restaurant management group behind Ann Arbor favorites Sava’s, Aventura, Wilma’s, and Dixboro House (coming 2020). At age 23, Sava opened her namesake restaurant, pioneering a new breed of eatery in Ann Arbor focused on her signature hospitality. She credits her Albanian upbringing that shapes the way she views opportunity, America, and her approach to hospitality.

Gjina Lucaj is a top-rated business lawyer and partner at Foley & Lardner LLP in Detroit. She practices corporate law with a focus on mergers, acquisitions, and restructurings, and has significant experience with domestic and international strategic and private equity transactions across numerous industries. Gjina received her undergraduate degree from U-M, where she was the president and founder of the Albanian American Student Organization. She received her law degree from Wayne State University Law School.

Emina Cunmulaj Nazarian was born in Farmington Hills, Michigan. She spent her childhood in Montenegro, and at 15, she was selected to represent Yugoslavia in a global modeling competition that led to a successful international modeling career. Emina currently promotes humanitarian efforts in Albania as a board member of the Fundajve Ndryshe, which recently brought aid to survivors of the November 2019 earthquake.

This lecture is hosted by the Albanian American Student Organization and the Weiser Center for Europe and Eurasia.

If you are a person with a disability who requires an accommodation to attend this event, please reach out to weisercenter@umich.edu at least 2 weeks in advance of this event. Please be aware that advance notice is necessary as some accommodations may require more time for the university to arrange.