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Issue 102:25:04MAR 2025Interview

Zoya Biglary

Zoya: The Iconic Gay Persian Content Creator Who Took Over Shark Tank!

Zoya Biglary episode artwork

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I think hope is the biggest thing.
Zoya Biglary1:06Hear it

The episode

From Persian family pressure to Shark Tank success! Zoya was expected to follow the traditional Middle Eastern path—become a lawyer, get married, and live the “perfect” Persian life. But she had other plans. As a gay Persian entrepreneur, Zoya had to fight against cultural expectations, family struggles, and self-doubt to build her own empire.

In this episode, we dive into:

  • How Zoya’s parents reacted when she came out as gay
  • The pressures of being Middle Eastern & breaking tradition
  • How she built a food empire from scratch (and made $$$ from content!)
  • The dark truth about raw fish & why she stopped eating sushi
  • Her insane Shark Tank journey and what happened behind the scenes

Watch till the end to hear Zoya’s message to anyone struggling to live their truth!

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