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Shabnam Rezaei

Canadian Woman Entrepreneur of the Year

Vancouver Sun: The co-founder of an animation studio in Vancouver has been named Canadian woman entrepreneur of the year at the sixth annual Stevie Awards for Women in Business last week in New York. Shabnam Rezaei co-founded Big Bad Boo Studios in Yaletown with her husband Aly Jetha after the two created the animated Babak and Friends, a direct-to-DVD story about an Iranian boy torn between his Iranian and American lives. That success spurred Iranian-born Rezaei and her husband to create Big Bad Boo and a series of 13 half-hour shows called Mixed Nutz. In that series, children from different backgrounds who end up at the same school in the United States learn how to be proud of who they are — and that they aren’t that different after all >>>

18-Nov-2009
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more from sarasepidzadeh
 
sarasepidzadeh

VOA "Persian Adventure" interview

by sarasepidzadeh on

in this clip (full version available on VOA) the mixed nutz show "persian adventure" is shown which features maz jobrani and the group abjeez ( I LOVE them!) and we hear more about the show and other projects.

 

Sara Sepidzadeh - All Things IRAN


sarasepidzadeh

Here is a later interview on Shaw which I already posted

by sarasepidzadeh on

enjoy

 


SheilaE

I am a big fan too

by SheilaE on

This actually happened to Larry David on the set of Seinfeld before he wrote the show. Watch this interview about the big salad episode and the set of the show. Very interesting:


jameslesonsky

The biiiig salad. I love that episode. Poor George.

by jameslesonsky on

I am just saying


Dehaati

Thanks Sara!

by Dehaati on

It's just "adorable" how they took credit for coming up with the original idea for "Babak and Friends" in this article as well. Thanks for posting it Sara! I've been waiting a long time to vent my frustration with the fact that Shabnam and Aly allowed the Vancouver Sun to publish such misinformation.

In 2004, on her Persian Mirror website, Shabnam Rezaie interviewed Dustin about his cartoon before she became involved with it. In that interview, she quoted Dustin about how he was inspired by Christmas cartoons to create a Nowrooz cartoon for Iranian children.

A few years later, the Vancouver Sun reported that she and Aly were inspired by Christmas cartoons and thus came up with a Nowrooz special for Iranian children. Even if it was a misprint, she shouldn't have let it happen. I wouldn't have. We all have to make business and marketing decisions. Anyone ethical would not have let themselves get false credit....TWICE.

I volunteered my time for Babak and Friends, because it was a sweet idea. In fact, a lot of people volunteered their time and talents because of Dustin's enthusiasm, vision and just plain kindness. I was offended by both Vancouver Sun articles, and very thankful that Iranian.com has provided me the forum to speak my mind.  

Criticism is supposed to make us better. It doesn't mean to destroy, but to improve us. I'm not asking Shabnam to disappear off the face of the earth, or saying she doesn't deserve to be happy and loved and successful; I just want her and her husband to be content with their own work and to stop taking credit for things they shouldn't...that's all. 


SheilaE

The Big Salad

by SheilaE on

Any body else got any complaints? Who is taking credit for the big salad? //en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Big_Salad


Anahid Hojjati

Instead of congrats, some complain, so here is mine :)

by Anahid Hojjati on

 

Shabnam jan, since on this thread, some complain rather than congratulate you, I have a beef too :).  Your site; PersianMirror, recently added my two articles.  Now you should promote me from Special Contributor to Senior since I have had 6 features in less than a year. Congrats again.


jameslesonsky

You make us so Proud.

by jameslesonsky on

This is not an easy thing. Good work.

 

I am just saying


sarasepidzadeh

Aly & Shabnam

by sarasepidzadeh on

Aly & shabnam are remarkable. Here is an animation case study about this dynamic duo, by corporate giant wacom which also did a similar study for cartoon network:

//www.wacom.com/casestudies/bigbadboo.php

congrats again.

 


bahram-b

Here's another good read...

by bahram-b on

This should settle things once and for all, since Ms. Rezai wrote it herself:

 persianmirror.com/childrens/dustinellisinterview

Congratulations to Shabnam on winning. 


Anonymouse

8th, count it 8, first time "register to nag" and counting!

by Anonymouse on

Everything is sacred.


Edgar Salenmas

This "Dustin Ellis" guy must be very talented and hard working

by Edgar Salenmas on

Reading the article and these comments, I have to say congrats does go out to the women of the year, Shabnam. Wish their was more information out on the web about you. However, I am intrigued by the mastermind behind these creative, ingenious shows which is this "Dustin Ellis" guy.  Has anyone googled or IMBD him?  His credits are long with "The Rugrats Movie", "Jimmy Neutron", "The Iron Giant" amongst other projects.  A great article about him was found on Persian Mirror and the Urban Dictionary has an entry stating that "Dustin Ellis is the coolest person ever to walk the halls of my school".

To the both of you, congratulation!!!  I look forward to seeing more work come out of these minds.

Edgar

PS: I did use spell check thank you ShielaE 


sarasepidzadeh

Adorable!

by sarasepidzadeh on

These two are just adorable:

 

//www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/arts/story...


PassTheBuck

integrity

by PassTheBuck on

Mr. Javid,

Does an incorrect report elsewhere provide you an easy out for not editing your own article?  Although you may not have the resources to double-check the source material for every article you run, you have the proper information for this particular incident.  As a result, you may display some character and integrity if you corrected it based on facts easily available on other reputable Internet sources--and even on Mrs. Rezaie's own website.  

PassTheBuck


SheilaE

Take a Chill Pill

by SheilaE on

Dude man, you people need to relax (and learn how to spell). Newspapers make errors all the time. She never said otherwise. You should talk to their writer and stop blaming jahanshah. But again, this is about celebrating someone's accomplishments and not inserting yourself into the conversation about something from 4 years ago. Unreal.

I am so proud of iranians for standing up for our culture! Celebrate THAT and spread the word. Iranians UNITE. GO IRAN.


Iroonihastam

Why the grumbling?

by Iroonihastam on

I'm wondering, why all the grumbling?  This is a great thing that all Iranians should be proud about.  I don't think anyone is denying that this Dustin was a creator of Babak & Friends & I don't think anyone is taking anything away.  A nice Iranian woman got an award and one of her many accomplishments was being involved in bringing these cartoons to life. Shabnam has credited Dustin on many occasions (even on CNN!) and Iranian is simply posting something. Behind every project are many wonderful people and not all are mentioned in every article. 

Dustin, if nobody has said it to you, then congratulations!  You and Shabnam created something nice and you should be happy.  I love Babak and hope you will create something again.  

Well done Shabnam and well done Dustin!  Now, let's enjoy and be happy. 

 


Jahanshah Javid

Vancouver Sun

by Jahanshah Javid on

If there's an inaccuracy in the Vancouver Sun's report, you should contact their editor. We quoted their news item.


janisvaile

Credit where credit is due

by janisvaile on

I am a school teacher at an Iranian preschool and have seen many Iranian children enjoy "Babak and Friends". I had the pleasure of hearing about "Babak and Friends" at it's conception by it's creator, Dustin Ellis. I don't know why anyone else would be given credit for this work and I am surprised that Iraninan.com neglected to do their homework! I hope this mistake will be retracted in the near future. Let's give credit where credit is due.


Anonymouse

List of 1st time "register to nag" continues! Now 5 & counting!

by Anonymouse on

Everything is sacred.


Bani

Fairness means give credit when it's due

by Bani on

I also think this article should be changed to include the fact that Dustin Ellis created both Babak and Friends and Mixed Nuts and that Shabnam and her husband were the producers.

By this, I'm not downplaying Shabnam's time in the limelight. Congratulations to her. I'm just saying, why not credit in all fairness and give all their due share?


sarasepidzadeh

Congrats on being Woman Entrepreneur of the Year

by sarasepidzadeh on

Mobarak Baad to Shabnam once again. Here is the full list of winners from this prestigious award show in NY: //www.stevieawards.com/pubs/women/awards/414_...

Well done!


mahbod moghadam

Dustin Ellis Created both Mixed Nuts and Babak and Friends

by mahbod moghadam on

Persian Mirror: //www.persianmirror.com/community/2005/books/...

 

EBSCO: //connection.ebscohost.com/content/article/10...

 

Payvand: //payvand.com/news/06/may/1005.html

 

If you Google this, you will see.

 

I think that the article should be changed to include this information. Thanks.


Iroonihastam

Congrats Shabnam!

by Iroonihastam on

I know Shabnam and know how hard she's worked to promote Iranian culture through Babak & Friends, Mixed Nutz and Persianmirror.  I'm also excited to see 1001 Nights.  I bought Babak & Friends from her and her husband when they sponsored a Norooz event in New York and personally sat with the kids to explain Norooz and sell the DVD. They are very gracious people.  I just watched the video posted below and she credits Dustin in the first sentence.  For those of you who feel she is not crediting others, I think you have an axe to grind and you're really just wrong. 

This award was for Canadian entrepreneurship, not for Babak and Friends. We should be proud that an Iranian won entreprenuer of the year, so why all the hatin'?

 


mahmoudg

congrats!

by mahmoudg on

on your success and the good job you are doing with persianmirror.com


SheilaE

CNN

by SheilaE on

here is a great CNN piece where she speaks about their first cartoon:


SheilaE

Gooz Beh Shagheegheh?

by SheilaE on

What does on thing have to do with the other? Who cares about Dustin? This article is about Winning the Canadian woman entrepreneur of the year AWARD in New York (Stevie's) and Shabnam's accomplishments as a businessperson. She and her husband produced Babak & Friends and Mixed nuts and so what if the stupid paper made a mistake? This is about Shabnam and celebrating her shows. If she is the producer, then I don't see the problem. Get over yourself. She is now doing a new show. Typical erooni ! Instead of being happy about somebody you make it about YOU. Sad.


Anonymouse

All 3 Dustin's "fans" registeTERED just to say this?! few hours?

by Anonymouse on

Everything is sacred.


Claudia

Last time I checked....

by Claudia on

...Dustin Ellis was the creator of Babak and Friends. The cartoon, and all of it's wonderful characters, all come from Dustin's imagination.

I find it so disheartening that the mastermind behind the cartoon has not been receiving full credit for not only his work, but for his passion. Please take note.


SheilaE

Congratulations to Shabnam

by SheilaE on

My kids love these shows on youtube. They love Sanjay especially when he dances. I can't wait to see the 1001 Nights show they are doing. Super big congratulations to big bad boo. SE.


Anonymouse

Here's a picture of Dustin Ellis and SR

by Anonymouse on