Life & Work with Laura Murvartian of Atlanta

Today we’d like to introduce you to Laura Murvartian.

Hi Laura, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I am a business executive, small business owner, nonprofit leader, and proud immigrant. I’m running to be the next State Senator for Georgia Senate District 48.

I come from a family of immigrants. My paternal grandfather migrated to Mexico after losing both of his parents in the Armenian Genocide. In 1915, at the age of 12, my Armenian grandfather witnessed the murder of his father by Ottoman soldiers who then led him, his siblings, and his mother on a death march through the Syrian desert. His mother did not survive the journey through the desert. My grandfather ended up in France as an orphaned refugee and at the age of 20 he made his way to Mexico. I kept my maiden name and passed it on to my children to honor this part of my family’s history.

My parents made the decision to move their family from Mexico to the United States when I was eight years old to seek better opportunities for us. In St. James, Minnesota (population 4,800), my parents worked hard to build a stable and financially secure life for us. When we first arrived, my parents worked in chicken and meat processing plants and in any other job they could find. They instilled a strong work ethic by example, and I have vivid memories of summers spent bean walking with my mother when I was in middle school, working side-by-side with my father at the corn processing plant on the overnight shift, corn-detasseling with my sister Susan, and working in the chicken processing plant myself—all during my high school years.
I remember my parents’ demeanor during these times; no matter the job they had, they were never embarrassed or ashamed. They just went to work with dignity. I also remember my father having a reputation for never missing work, never being late, and never complaining. My parents worked hard in their pursuit of the American Dream, and they were able to give us a life that exceeded their expectations.

-I am running for office because the dream my parents achieved through hard work is slipping away for too many families living in Georgia and in this district.-

A few months after we arrived in the United States on a tourist visa, we became undocumented. I was undocumented for 12 years. I have never forgotten the ever-present feeling of uncertainty and fear that many undocumented immigrants live with. 1986 Amnesty act (the Immigration Reform and Control Act) gave us a pathway to citizenship – and changed the course of our lives. This is when I first felt the impact of public policy. This is the when I first felt the power of politics.

After graduating from high school, I became the first in my family to earn a college degree. I received a B.A. in Political Science with honors from Hamline University in St. Paul, MN. I was then awarded the Woodrow Wilson Fellowship, which allowed me to pursue a Master’s Degree in Public Policy from the University of Michigan with a focus on International Economics. I graduated from Michigan with a job offer from the Federal Reserve Bank.

Following my time at the Federal Reserve, I moved to Atlanta and served as a corporate executive at multiple Georgia-based companies, including Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. and Equifax where I negotiated IT and data deals worth up to $50 million. I then took time out of my corporate career to start my own small business. I bought the rights to the state of Georgia for a wine franchise, becoming the Georgia Area Developer for the company. This initiative contributed more than $7 million to Georgia’s economy. My business experience led me to served as the President of the National Latina Business Women’s Association.

-I know what it takes to build a business from the ground up and what it takes to close a deal through successful negotiations.-

I started two non-profits that are still operating today. I currently serve as the Founder and Executive Director of Arte GA, a nonprofit that supports Latino professional creatives. We focus on business knowledge and skills, access to funding, networking, and promoting the work of Latino Artists. We established the first and only Directory of Georgia Latino Artists. I also founded a community library in 2012, Fiesta De Libros, which I ran for 10 years. During that time, we gave away over 60,000 books to Latino children and held regular literacy events.

I have been actively involved in the Atlanta community and have served on a number of Georgia nonprofit boards including the Woodruff Arts Center and Hands On Atlanta. And I have supported many nonprofits as a volunteer and donor. I was named one of Georgia’s 50 most influential Latinos in the inaugural cohort in 2018 by the Georgia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and I am a member of the 2014 Leadership Atlanta class.

I have also been involved in politics for decades. I have campaigned and hosted fundraisers for Democratic candidates up and down the ticket and I have served on the board of two Georgia-based PACs.
I am proud of the work I have done in our community as a volunteer, a philanthropist, and a nonprofit board member for over 25 years. I am also proud of the work I have done to promote civic and voter engagement. Running for office is the natural next step in a life committed to service and to electing strong Democratic candidates.

-This campaign to represent Senate District 48 is the next chapter in a life committed to improving the lives of Georgians. This is another stop on my quest to give back to the country that has given me and my family so much.-

I’m proud of my little family. I have been married for 29 years to Michael Rhim, an attorney and shareholder at Winstead PC. We met at the University of Michigan and have enjoyed being alumni together. We have two adult children who graduated from Johns Creek High School. Our daughter, Claudia, graduated from the University of Michigan in May and is currently preparing for the LSAT and will be applying to law schools in the fall. Our son, Nicolas, graduated from Northwestern in 2024 and is working at Bain Capital in Boston. The strong public schools in the area is what motivated us to move to Johns Creek 12 years ago.

My personal interests are traveling, running, biking, reading and writing song lyrics. I have released three songs, completed four marathons, have biked all 100 miles of the Silver Comet/ Chief Ladiga bike trail with my children when they were young, and I have been fortunate to traveled all over the world. My current audacious goal is to complete a 60k to commemorate my 60th birthday in 2027.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.arte-ga.org and https://www.LauraMurvartian.com
• Instagram: @arte_gacreatives, @murvartian4ga
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/laura.murvartian and https://www.facebook.com/murvartian4ga
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lauramurvartian/