About Us

Symposium Institute was founded in San Francisco, California in 2006 as a seminar meeting place, within a curated bookshop, by Roxana Zirakzadeh of Iran and Briana Henderson (now Saussy) of Texas.  Roxana and Briana had studied in one of the few colleges that actually transform student and faculty lives (alma mater). They set out to share this boon with a reading public.  Roxy, her husband, and baby moved to Southern California, where she continues to offer seminars with the Agora Foundation (headquartered in Ojai.)  Bri and her husband David, an alumnus of the same college, moved to San Antonio.  David Saussy re-founded Symposium San Antonio local programs with help from Bri and others.  Soon afterward, Symposium moved online, where our reading community continues to thrive.