Contact Details
stephanie@us-iran.org

Stephanie Lester

Executive Director

Stephanie Lester is the Executive Director of AIC. She oversees daily administration of the organization, as well as managing all AIC teams including Programming, Research and Publications, Event Organization, Media Relations, Development and Community Outreach.

A passionate proponent of improved US-Iran relations, Stephanie developed a taste for US-Iran relation building early in life.  In 1999 she traveled to Iran as a student with Search for Common Ground, which organized a delegation to observe the last total solar eclipse of the millennium.  The group included distinguished individuals such as Dr. Alan Hale of Hale-Bopp comet fame, Apollo 9 astronaut Rusty Schweickart, and Ambassador William Miller who currently serves on the AIC’s Board of Directors.

Prior to joining AIC, Stephanie practiced law at Hughes Hubbard & Reed LLP in New York City, advising high-net-worth clients on estate planning.  She also founded and managed a specialty foods business, Caveman Bakery LLC, whose products achieved wide distribution across leading natural food chains in the US and abroad.  In her capacity as owner, she oversaw all aspects of administration, including marketing, procurement, production and distribution of goods, personnel decisions as well as legal and financial matters.  She appreciates being able to bring her business and administrative experience to bear in the non-profit arena and to help further AIC’s goals.

Stephanie graduated from Princeton University with an A.B. in Philosophy, and received her J.D. from New York University School of Law.  She also spent time abroad, including a year at Oxford University, and a term studying international law at the University of Sydney, Australia.