For Haykaz Nahapetyan, the chair of the AGBU Young Professionals group in Yerevan, giving back has been a natural urge since his years of military service. Time spent on the border gave him space to reflect on what he owed his country. He knew he wanted to contribute, he just didn’t yet know how.
AGBU became his answer. After completing his military service, Nahapetyan resumed his studies at university and began looking for ways to get involved in meaningful work—from volunteering to community initiatives, including an opportunity at an organization housed in the AGBU Armenia building. “Every day, I would walk past their logo until one day I stopped and read the mission—to promote the prosperity and well-being of all Armenians. I thought this wasn’t a coincidence and I needed to be part of that organization,” Nahapetyan recalls.
Although initially unable to join the Young Professionals of Yerevan due to age and professional requirements, he remained determined. Six months later, after securing a position at HSBC’s Digital Banking Services team, he reached out again, and by the fall of 2016 was among the first members of the relaunched YP Yerevan.
What began as a simple desire to contribute soon evolved into a meaningful leadership. A year and four months later, Nahapetyan was elected vice chair of YP Yerevan, and almost a year later, its chair. Looking back at those early days, he notes that although AGBU provided a valuable network and opportunities, the path wasn’t easy. What 14 members, including him, stepped into in 2016, wasn’t yet a fully structured YP group, but rather a team with a shared sense of responsibility. “I realized we were sitting on one of our biggest assets, the professional diversity of our members and the wider AGBU community, without fully using it.”
Thus, at his initiative, a Professional Development Committee was created, allowing members to contribute to one another’s growth through practical skills workshops. This motivated both existing and new members to show up regularly and stay engaged.
They then began organizing public events to recruit new members. Nahapetyan recalls spending nights preparing for events that only a handful of people attended. But he refused to see low turnout as failure and instead committed to consistency.
When young armenians see respected professionals dedicating their time and energy to the community, they redefine what volunteering means. If my generation normalizes this, the next generation will live in a country where giving back is part of what it means to be successful.
Ten years later, the transformation is striking. What began with a small group of people has grown into a community of over 200 young professionals from diverse fields, including medicine, law, IT, education, finance, government, and international relations. The YP group now organizes more than twenty events annually and has established key initiatives, such as mentorship programs in collaboration with the AGBU Global Leadership Program, the “Art of X” series, and an ongoing calendar of workshops, masterclasses, and community events. YP Yerevan’s reputation has also evolved. In its early days, the group had to actively seek out partnerships, while today local and international companies approach them for collaboration.
Indeed, their efforts were appreciated. In 2022, during AGBU’s 92nd General Assembly, YP Yerevan received the AGBU President’s Award for Outstanding Service. The Award did not mark a peak, but rather set a higher standard. Three years later, they hosted AGBU FOCUS—a biennial event organized for young professionals to gather and connect—in Armenia for the first time. Six hundred Armenians from 28 countries came to Yerevan, some for the first time, for a highly curated five-day series of events designed to connect or reconnect them with the homeland.
Bringing FOCUS to Armenia also carried a personal significance for him. Over years of interacting with Diaspora Armenians, he noticed that many underestimated what Armenia is today, often seeing it as a small, fragile country in need of help. When the team designed FOCUS 2025, they made a deliberate choice to demonstrate a country with a thriving tech scene, a robust finance sector, a vibrant arts community, and genuine innovation.
At the same time, his perception of Diaspora Armenians has also evolved. Before joining AGBU, he assumed the younger generation was disconnected from Armenia, but his experience proved many are deeply patriotic, eager to contribute, and committed to making a difference. “That realization reshaped how I see YP Yerevan—not just as a local community, but as a bridge that turns Diaspora energy into action.”
Beyond YP Yerevan’s achievements, Nahapetyan is most proud of the shift in how volunteering is perceived in Armenia. As the culture continues to develop, he believes their example is transformative. “When young Armenians see respected professionals dedicating their time and energy to the community, they redefine what volunteering means. If my generation normalizes this, the next generation will live in a country where giving back is part of what it means to be successful.”
After a decade of devoted service, Nahapetyan currently works as a product and program manager at Tabby, a financial tech company based in Dubai, all while continuing to dedicate his time and evolving skills to the AGBU YP Network with the same enthusiasm. Yet, whenever asked what keeps him in AGBU, he still returns to its purpose. “AGBU’s mission spoke to me as a local Armenian just as powerfully as it would speak to an Armenian in Paris or Buenos Aires. The desire to contribute to the prosperity and well-being of all Armenians doesn’t require a Diaspora passport.”
