Shahab and Afi met on a blind date in 2006. Even though Shahab was 45 minutes late to the dinner at Chaya in San Francisco, he some how managed to get Afi’s attention as she was headed out the door. “Even though the first date was a disaster,” Shahab recalls, “we both made the best of it…and made it to a 2nd date. By the 3rd or 4th date we were already falling in love.” Eight months later Shahab proposed in Hawaii, and they were married in August 2008.
They both spent part of their youth in the Bay Area. Shahab moved to Mill Valley when he was 4. His grandparents immigrated from Iran a year later and had a huge influence on his life, bringing exposure to his Persian roots. He attended Tamalpais High School, College of Marin, and UC Berkeley where he got a bachelor’s degree in international relations. He then went on to get an MBA at Golden Gate University. His career has been focused on financial advising and management. He started out at Morgan Stanley on California St. in San Francisco, then was hired by Merrill Lynch and later recruited back to Morgan Stanley. In 2016 he went independent and took his clients to Wells Fargo Advisors where he is currently a managing partner within his group managing $350 million dollars in client assets.
Shahab is also an importer of an artisanal, small-batch tequila called El Fogonero Tequila. It comes from a small town in the lowlands of Jalisco called Amatitan. The Moradians enjoy sharing their tequila with friends and neighbors at their annual Cinco de Mayo party where they pair their tequila with fine Mexican bites. El Fogonero Tequila can be purchased online at www.gofogonero.com , and Northgate families can use the friends and family promo code “elfogonero” for 20% off purchase.
Afi was born in Tehran and came to the U.S. at age 14. She spent her teen years in Menlo Park, attended Foothill Junior College and San Francsico State University where she majored in biology. She first worked in dentistry as a surgical assistant, but later got the urge to pursue real estate. Her mom was a successful agent, and other family members were also involved in the industry. In 2014 she got her real estate license and now works for Compass in Walnut Creek. It’s a job that allows her the flexibility to juggle the demands of mother, wife and professional.
The Moradians have two sons. Nicolas is 21 and is a senior at Arizona State University, majoring in business. When he was at Northgate High School, he played on the basketball team for all 4 years including varsity and played saxophone for the Northgate Band. Darius, 13, is in 8th grade at Foothill Middle School. He enjoys guitar, basketball, and Kung-Fu at the infamous Tomizaki’s Champions. He is currently a purple belt and loves the challenge and discipline of the sport.
The Moradians are big 49er football fans. When Shahab was only 10 years old, Bill Walsh and Joe Montana led the team to its first Super Bowl win in 1981. “I instantly fell in love with the team and had the pleasure of growing up in the Bay Area and enjoying 4 more World Championships!” adds Shahab. Each year the family chooses one away game to attend as a way of supporting their team and seeing other cities across the country. They’ve traveled to Seattle, Phoenix, Sofi Stadium in LA, Green Bay, Philadelphia, Denver, and New Orleans.
Even the family dog is a 49er fan too! Their sweet chocolate lab, Coco, has two 49er jerseys of her own. She’s a friendly girl who wants to say hello to everyone. The Moradians have been part of the Northgate neighborhood since 2014. They chose it because of the good schools, warm weather, great downtown, and the true sense of community. “We love the community and the fact that people here are nice, easygoing and friendly,” says Afi. This family believes in working hard and playing hard, having a good sense of humor and not taking life too seriously. Speaking of playing hard, the family loves their annual trip to Hawaii, hiking at Castle Rock Park with Coco, and creating festive displays in their front yard depending on who the 49ers are playing each week.
By Kara Navolio, Resident since 1991
Photos provided by the Moradian family