Raya Ani is the founder and Design Director of RAW-NYC Architects, which has offices in both New York and Dubai. She works extensively in the Middle East, and in 2017 was President of the American Institute of Architects-Middle East Chapter. Her work spans diverse types and locations - from a green public school and residential towers in NYC to a sports center in Qatar. Her design of the Bamiyan Cultural Center in Afghanistan won a Merit Award at the AIA International Region Design Awards in Prague. Raya holds a Master of Science Degree from MIT and has received the MIT Harvard Aga Khan Scholarship. She received her undergraduate degree in Architecture Engineering from Baghdad University with distinctions.