Aline Kamakian

Aline Kamakian has built a life where business success and humanitarian purpose move hand in hand.

She began working at 18 as an insurance broker to finance her studies at Université Saint Joseph, later founding IIC (Insurance and Investment Consultants), which grew into one of Lebanon’s leading brokerage firms. Yet her defining path emerged in 2003 with the opening of Mayrig in Beirut, an Armenian restaurant that revived the rich flavors of Mother Armenia and transformed them into a cultural experience.

That vision quickly expanded beyond Lebanon, with Mayrig and its sister concepts reaching cities across the region and internationally. Still, it is in times of crisis that Kamakian’s leadership has stood out most.

Following the Beirut Port explosion, she turned her kitchens into relief hubs as a chef ambassador for World Central Kitchen, helping feed thousands of families daily while protecting her team’s livelihoods. During the 2023–2026 war on Lebanon, she led large-scale operations serving up to 50,000 displaced individuals per day, extending her efforts to Armenia to support displaced communities there.

Whether in business or in crisis, Kamakian’s work is guided by a simple belief: food carries memory, dignity and connection.