Vanar Jaddou is a first-generation Chaldean screenwriter and entrepreneur from Detroit—part of an ancient Mesopotamian people from the villages of northern Iraq. He studied Anthropology & Education at Harvard University and was a Presidential Scholar at Wayne State University, where he majored in English Literature. At the age of 11, Vanar saved enough money to open his first business—a hot dog stand. Thereafter, he began working in his father’s supermarket—beginning as a bagger, then stocker, then cashier, before he was finally given a managerial title after seven years. Having developed new strategies that would go on to substantially increase the business, it wasn’t long before he was serving as a creative consultant to numerous other businesses, particularly ones in need of change.
In 2010, Vanar founded his own educational consulting company and has since helped hundreds of students earn acceptance into every Ivy League school in the country, as well as some of the top residency and fellowship programs in the world. While continuing to juggle multiple projects in various industries, at Myst Lounge, Vanar is determined to create the best possible atmosphere for both the employees he manages and the patrons to which he tends. “Everyone has their own style of leadership,” he says, “but the most successful motivators in business are the most agile thinkers. And if you truly listen, you’ll be able to rationalize with any ideology.”
Under Vanar’s leadership, Myst Lounge has achieved significant year-over-year growth and has been recognized as one of the top nightlife spots in San Diego’s Gaslamp District. He has worked in customer service for over twenty years, and is insistent on fostering a welcoming, inclusive atmosphere wherein every guest feels like family. “We want everyone to fit in, but we, as a business, don’t want to assimilate. We want to push the envelope as far as we can take it.”
Aside from his day-to-day work, Vanar also moonlights as a screenwriter. Mentored by Oscar-winning screenwriter Eric Roth, Vanar’s action thriller, GOODBYE, IRAQ, was awarded a 2020 Oscar Nicholl Fellowship by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences, beating out over 7,800 other scripts. He continues to test himself at Myst Lounge and beyond, knowing that often times, our most difficult challenges bring forth our most remarkable efforts.