Natascha Dammann

About Natascha Dammann

My work and thinking have always been shaped by one central question: how do we build societies that center humanity?Born and raised in Germany as a mixed child, with a German father and a Persian mother, questions of identity, belonging, and cultural perspective were present early on. Living in Iran as a young adult and university student, and later moving to the United States as a professional, added lived experience to academic curiosity and offered a comparative, cross-societal lens that continues to shape how the world is understood.Academic training in politics and sociology provided the framework to examine power, social structures, and collective behavior. Years spent in the fields of language and education did not divert from that path, they deepened it. Working across cultures and generations made one thing consistently clear: understanding is not automatic; it is something that must be actively cultivated.Language, education, and civic life are not neutral spaces, they are where humanity is made visible, or quietly erased. The work I am drawn to lives at that intersection, where empathy becomes a practice, cultural awareness becomes understanding, and responsibility toward others becomes action.At the core of everything is a belief that meaningful change begins with how we see one another ~ not as labels or categories, but as people.

Experience

1. Executive Director & Founder

   House Of Us

   Oct 2025 — Present · Irvine, CA, US

   Lead a nonprofit civic and social organization dedicated to cultivating social empathy through education, youth voices, and civic engagement. Guide organizational strategy, program development, and partnerships that strengthen civil society and democratic participation. Oversee research-informed and youth-led initiatives that promote shared humanity, dignity, and constructive engagement across difference.

Education

• Allameh Tabataba'i University

  Master of Arts (M.A.), Sociology

  2003 — 2005

• Shahid Beheshti University

  Bachelor of Arts (B.A.), Political Science

  1996 — 2000

Skills

• Editing
• Microsoft Office
• Sales
• Customer Service
• Marketing
• Public Speaking
• Marketing Strategy
• Nonprofits
• Strategic Planning
• Leadership
• Microsoft Excel
• Powerpoint
• Teaching
• Research
• Microsoft Word
• Nonprofit Organizations
• Social Media