Shahrzad Rafati

Shahrzad Rafati is the Founder and CEO of BroadbandTV, a leading global digital entertainment company, and the third-largest video property worldwide. Recognized by Fast Company as one of the 100 Most Creative People in Business and widely known as a visionary in the online video space, Rafati is credited with pioneering the model that made peace between major media companies and their fans, uploading premium content online. Representing the top creative talent in online video, BroadbandTV is changing the face of entertainment and empowering a vibrant community of thousands of storytellers, trailblazers, and inspirers from around the globe to reach billions of views each month.

She is also co-founder and advisory board member, of the Chopra Yoga Centers. Co-founded by Dr. Deepak Chopra the centers are rooted in the spiritual leader's philosophy of the Seven Spiritual Laws of Success.

Socially driven, Rafati is outspoken in her passion for creating jobs and fostering entrepreneurship amongst the "YouTube generation." Rafati is also an advocate for women entering into technology and entrepreneurship and is the founder of Make Change, an organization committed to alleviating human suffering in disadvantaged areas. She has also been involved with fundraising campaigns for Mission Possible, United Way, and World Cancer Day.

In 2009, FWE Forum for Women Entrepreneurs named Rafati one of the Top 5 Women Entrepreneurs in Media and Entertainment alongside Sarah McLachlan. In 2011, she was the only Canadian named on Fast Company's 100 Most Creative People in Business list. She was also featured on the cover of Canadian Business in an editorial piece called "Meet Your Next Boss," in which she was included on a list of 20 women shaking up corporate Canada. In 2018, Rafati was named the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year in the Pacific technology category. Rafati was also awarded Person of the Year by the British Columbia Technology Association, named one of Canada’s Top 40 under 40, selected as one of The Hollywood Reporter’s Most Powerful Women in Global Television, the AdAge Creativity Award 2019 Visionary/Founder of the Year, and was named to TheWrap’s Innovators List.

Rafati is a very active public speaker who has spoken at events such as TEDx Vancouver, and Dreamforce alongside Marc Benioff, Mark Cuban, Chris Sacca, will.i.am, and Brian Moynihan. In September 2018, it was announced that Rafati was appointed by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to represent Canada on the Business Women Leaders task force as part of the G20 Summit in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and in 2020 she was selected to Co-Chair G20 EMPOWER as Canada's representative.

She has also spoken at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos, VidCon, Web Summit, CES, Newfronts, Financial Times Digital Media, DMEXCO, Business Insider's IGNITION, and Collision.

Rafati is also a known thought leader in the entrepreneurship and media and technology space, having regularly contributed to Fortune Magazine, The Wall Street Journal, and Wired.