Princess Ariana | |||||
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Born | Ariana Joy Lalita Austin[1] Washington, D.C., U.S. | ||||
Spouse | |||||
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House | Solomon (by marriage) | ||||
Father | Bobby William Austin | ||||
Mother | Joy Ford | ||||
Religion | Ethiopian Orthodox | ||||
Occupation | Philanthropist, writer, arts manager | ||||
Education |
Imperial family of Ethiopia |
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Princess Ariana Austin Makonnen of Ethiopia[2] (née Ariana Joy Lalita Austin) is an American writer, arts manager and philanthropist. She is the founder of the evening arts festival Art All Night and of the creative agency French Thomas. In 2018, she and her husband launched Old World/New World Productions, a media company that produces content focusing on the African diaspora.
Makonnen, who is the granddaughter of Lord Mayor John Meredith Ford of Georgetown, Guyana, serves as the Goodwill Ambassador of Friends of Guyana. In 2019, she spoke at the Third Annual Women's Leadership and Business Conference at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre. She is a member of the Ethiopian imperial family through her marriage to Prince Joel Dawit Makonnen, the great-grandson of Emperor Haile Selassie I.