Fireside Chats Episode VI

About the Speakers

Niloufer Mavalvala

A self-taught home cook, Niloufer was nurtured under the watchful eye of her mother Shireen and aunt Villie. Born and raised in Karachi, she has also made her home in London and Dubai before having migrated to Canada. With a passion to teach and share, she began her career with cooking demonstrations to schoolchildren, which later grew into a food blog, NiloufersKitchen.com, now with over 1.4 million views. This journey initiated a writing career, with 4 published cookbooks that have won 8 Gourmand awards. She writes a column for The Cook’s Cook magazine called Niloufer’s Parsi Kitchen and publishes articles in various journals on a regular basis.

Her passion for art and creativity encouraged her to professionally learn food photography ten years ago, which she continues to pursue. An avid world traveler from a very young age, she also enjoys reading, learning, and communicating about food cultures from every region. She runs supper clubs in her home to help cultivate knowledge about her own Parsi cuisine, which is both ancient and unique.

Meher Pavri

Meher Pavri is a Parsi-Canadian soprano and multidisciplinary performer whose work spans opera, theatre, musical theatre, film, and television. She recently toured the UK with a new musical, Frankie Goes to Bollywood. She has toured internationally with Mahabharata (Why Not Theatre), performing as the Voice of Krishna in productions presented at the Barbican Centre in London, the Lincoln Center in New York, the Perth Festival in Australia, and leading theatres across Canada.

Her stage work includes Maria in West Side Story, Christine in The Phantom of the Opera, the title role in the opera Savitri, and performances in Bend It Like Beckham: The Musical, alongside numerous new Canadian works that reflect her commitment to collaborative and new storytelling.

Originally from London, Ontario, Meher is grateful for the opportunity to be working both at home and abroad. She loves being active within her Zoroastrian community and even started a Zoroastrian run club! She’s so honoured to be a part of this Fireside chat. You can follow her journey at @meherpavri.

Alya Nayar

Alya Nayar is a rising senior at Alcuin high school. Alya has been actively involved in the Zoroastrian Association of North Texas’ youth group, where she helps organize events for youth members and handles social media. She is also passionate about history and medicine and has pursued opportunities in both fields, including historical research and experience in medicine and healthcare. In the future, Alya hopes to study history while completing her pre-medical requirements and eventually pursue a career in medicine.

Zara Commissariat

Zara Commissariat is a high school student currently residing in Southern California. She is an active youth volunteer within the Zoroastrian community, consistently creating social media content for the Zoroastrian Association of California (ZAC). She is also on the FEZANA Communications team as a social media producer. In recognition of her commitment and service, she was honored with ZAC’s Youth of the Year Award. Outside of her community involvement, Zara is passionate about long-distance running. She competes in her school’s varsity cross country and track team, and she recently completed the LA Marathon.

Zynah Kharoliwalla

Zynah Kharoliwalla is from Madison, Wisconsin where she is currently a rising freshman at UW Madison, studying Political Science. I’m an active member of the Zoroastrian association of metropolitan Chicago, where she has led and contributed to multiple projects such as the Oral History project and volunteered as a summer camp counselor. Zynah has also presented at the Conference on Status of Women at the United Nations twice with the FEZANA delegation in 2024 and 2026, where she discussed women’s rights in politics and education. Outside of FEZANA and the ZAMC, she loves reading and going out with friends.