AMPLIFY NASHVILLE HONOREES

A native of Iran, Farzin Ferdowsi is a business leader, entrepreneur, and philanthropist whose work in the Nashville community creates opportunities and shapes the landscape of the city.

Farzin immigrated to the United States in 1965 to attend Kansas University where he earned his Bachelor of Science degree in engineering. While in college, Farzin began working part-time at Pizza Hut, an unassuming start to an illustrious career with restaurants. Farzin went on to found Management Resources Co. (MRCO), a company that operates more than 90 franchise restaurants and employs more than 2,000 people.

While building his life in the US after college, Farzin’s family faced persecution in Iran for their Baha’i faith, leading to his father’s imprisonment and execution in 1981. The rest of Farzin’s family was able to escape, and he used his experience to help them make a new start in the United States.

At MRCO, Farzin’s family-focused culture leads to long-tenured staff members in a high-turnover industry. MRCO helps employees rise to their potential in several ways, including scholarships to pursue higher education.

Farzin is a founder of Sonata Bank and serves on countless nonprofit boards across the city, regularly finding ways to lift others up and serve the community. He helps transform the city one person and one project at a time, earning him the Culture Shaper honor at Amplify Nashville 2024.