Mahtab Farid is an award winning international correspondent and a public diplomacy adviser in Washington, DC. Farid’s passion for public service led her to join the U.S. Department of State to serve as a public diplomacy officer in Afghanistan. She was embedded with the U.S. military for sixteen months in forward operating base in provinces of Ghazni and Bagram to build capacity for Afghan media and to empower Afghan women. Farid trained over 100 reporters including women in remote villages. As a result of her training, women in Bamyan province were able to report on the parliamentarian elections in Afghanistan for the first time. She launched numerous programs to empower Afghan female journalists in eastern Afghanistan a place where almost no female reporter voice was heard. Through her programs, she influenced local radio executives to hire female journalists and launched media programs for women in radio stations. Farid is the recipient of the State Department Expeditionary Service Award from Secretary Hillary Clinton for her contributions to reconstruction and Meritorious Honor Award from U.S. Ambassador Karl Eikenberry for excellence in building Afghan media capacity. Farid moved with her family during Iran Iraq war and grew up in Santa Monica California. She reported from Capitol Hill on U.S. Iran relations for Voice of American Persian Service since 2001. Farid graduated from California State University, Northridge and is currently working on her book.