Dr. Darya Hodaei
CEO of EnglishAzerbaijani

EnglishAzerbaijani was founded by Dr. Darya Hodaei, a pharmacy professional and immigrant, in response to the growing disconnect she experienced from her Azerbaijani Turkic roots. Raised in Iran as part of a marginalized ethnic group, she was deprived of education in her mother tongue and knowledge about her ethnic history. It wasn’t until she became pregnant that she fully recognized how little she knew about her own culture and traditions—and how important it was to pass that heritage on to her children. Determined to reclaim and preserve her identity, she founded EnglishAzerbaijani as a practical and enriching resource for families seeking to stay connected to their Azerbaijani Turkic heritage and share its beauty with future generations.

EnglishAzerbaijani uses visual aids to promote Azerbaijani Turkic culture and language through books and animations. Our content is rooted in traditional Azerbaijani folklore and presented in both English and Azerbaijani, promoting mother tongue education and fostering cultural understanding across all age groups.

Dr. Hodaei, together with her husband, is dedicated to preserving ethnic culture and identity, particularly the mother tongue, as an important aspect of their children's upbringing. Their children are growing up trilingual, learning Azerbaijani-Turkic from their mother, Kurdish from their father, and English from school and society.​
Visit Darya's website at www.daryahodaei.com

©2025 by Englishazerbaijani
​United States of America