Dr. Benjamin Radd
Political Scientist · Legal Scholar
Political scientist, legal scholar, and media commentator focused on international affairs, national security, and political crisis. Senior Fellow at UCLA's Burkle Center for International Relations, Lecturer in Law at UCLA Law, and Lecturer at USC Gould School of Law. Seen on CNN, BBC, CBS, NPR, and Fox LiveNOW. On Grumpy Persians, Ben brings a professor's brain, an immigrant's eye, and a reluctant optimist's frustration.
@prof.raddPattie Ehsaei
The Duchess of Decorum
Attorney, M&A finance executive, and TikTok powerhouse (1M+ followers). Author of Never Date a Broke Dude (Hachette, 2025). Twenty years in high finance, from sovereign wealth funds to the deal table. Founder & CEO of AccompliSHE. She turned personal tragedy into a platform for women's financial empowerment.
@duchessofdecorumSiavash Farahani
Filmmaker · Storyteller
Writer, director, producer, and educator whose credits include HBO’s Dune: Prophecy, AMC’s The Walking Dead: WorldBeyond, and CBS’s Blood & Treasure. He is a professor at the USC School of Cinematic Arts and a WGA member. Born in Tehran, shaped by refugee camps in Norway, and built in Los Angeles. A disgruntled humanist trying to make sense of the gap between who we are and who we could be.
@storyassassin