Ari Afsar believes in the power of art changing culture, and culture changing policy. A graduate of Ethnomusicology from UCLA, Afsar released her album, We Won’t Sleep, distributed by Sony Masterworks. Her work has been commissioned/featured at the La Jolla Playhouse, McCarter Theatre, UTK, and NMTC at the O’Neill. Afsar has opened for Michelle Obama, Kamala Harris, Gloria Steinhem, and Hillary Clinton. She starred in the top 10 Netflix movie Wedding Season, composed with Pasek & Paul for Shawn Mendez in Sony’s Lyle Lyle Crocodile, originated Eliza in Chicago's Hamilton, starred in the world premiere of Bhangra Nation at La Jolla Playhouse, awarded top 10 at Miss America as Miss California, and placed top 36 on American Idol. She is currently an MPA candidate at NYU Wagner.