War Orphan Who Dreamed of Owning a Bicycle Prepares to Sell The World’s Most Expensive ArtBike To Benefit MENA Youth

SEATTLE, WA, UNITED STATES, September 24, 2014 /EINPresswire.com/ -- As the “jet set” collectors of high-performance cars and cutting-edge technology converge on Dubai for the Big Boys Toys Expo, the region’s premier luxury event, featuring some of the world’s rarest and most exclusive products from Oct. 3-5, Academy of Business Leadership (ABL) Refounder, President & CEO, Anna Ouroumian, prepares to sell the world’s most expensive art bike to benefit the youth of Dubai, the Middle East, and North Africa.

Listed at $3 million USD, the Cosmic-Star Cruiser ArtBike is a one-of-a-kind luxury art piece designed by Internationally Renowned Celebrity Artist Jack Armstrong who has vowed to never produce another one again. The ArtBike is created in the hallmark “Cosmic Extensionalism” revolutionary new art style founded by the artist through which he has achieved prominence. It includes a deep meaning into universal cosmic theory of inter-dimensional art and 3-D effect in paint with extreme use of color, light, texture, and the written word in paint. The Artist was nicknamed as "The Last Wizard" by his mentor and best friend Andy Warhol, for vowing to only create 100 paintings and to never paint on canvas again.

Armstrong’s work is in the private collections of Alice Walton, Michel Polnareff, and Narendra Patel, among others. Fifty percent of the sale proceeds of the Cosmic-Star Cruiser ArtBike will benefit the youth of the region through the Academy of Business Leadership, by helping them bring to life their entrepreneurial innovations and inventions. Pre event bids for the ArtBike start at $3 million reserve. All bids should be submitted to ArtBikebid@goabl.org by Oct. 1st. The Cosmic-Star Cruiser ArtBike will be on display at the Big Boys Toys Exhibition from October 3-5, 2014. Upon the sale of the ArtBike a press conference will be held to present a check to Anna Ouroumian on behalf of the Academy of Business Leadership in the presence of the Artist and distinguished guests.

Interestingly, Ouroumian grew up in 11 different orphanages and schools in war-torn Beirut Lebanon and used to dream of owning any bike. And now, she finds herself in charge of selling the world’s most valuable art bike in Dubai, at the region’s most exclusive luxury event: “I used to borrow a nun’s bike and ride it around the playground. I felt such freedom and joy, even in the midst of the bombs falling and the terrible war waging all around us. Back then, I dreamed of having my own bike – any bike. And now I dream of selling the world’s most expensive ArtBike to help bring the seemingly impossible dreams of the youth of the MENA countries to reality.”

Rebuffing common conventions for a girl child of her social and economic circumstances, though “destined for only a second grade level education”, Ouroumian pushed to achieve her seemingly impossible dream of attaining higher education. Determined to have a better life, to go to college, and to pursue her American Dream, Anna escaped war-torn Lebanon on a fishing boat to Cyprus and left Beirut by herself as a young teenager with only $160 in her pocket and headed for America barely speaking English with two books, one on former President Reagan, and another on Harvard Business School.

In the United States, Ouroumian attended UCLA and studied Economics. She was the only student highlighted at graduation for her inspirational story and for having received the Outstanding Senior Award, the highest honor given to four undergraduates out of 10,500 seniors for outstanding academic achievements and service to UCLA and the community.

Ouroumian quickly catapulted to prominence for her inspirational story and visionary leadership in creating and delivering cutting edge youth business and leadership education. As a pioneer in AmeriCorps, the American domestic Peace Corps, Ouroumian played a key role in the revitalization of the Hollywood business district. As the Refounder, President & CEO of the Academy of Business Leadership (ABL), headquartered in Los Angeles, California, Ouroumian has spearheaded business and leadership education, and championed entrepreneurship and empowerment and prosperity training for more than 115,000 youth from California and the world with her brand of transformational leadership.

Ouroumian is the youngest member to serve on the Harvard Kennedy School Women’s Leadership Board since 2003, and in that capacity, she created and taught a leadership training program in the summers of 2007 and 2008 at the Harvard Kennedy School for young women from Egypt, Jordan and Kuwait to build a leadership pipeline to those countries.

In 2012, Ouroumian’s amazing story was featured in the book Life Moments for Women that honored “108 Extraordinary California Women”. In January 2014, Ouroumian received an award from the Los Angeles Lakers for her transformational impact on youth. Ouroumian has been featured in Forbes magazine, Reader’s Digest, and honored by Tyra Banks and Montel Williams TV shows, among others.

Ouroumian is a dynamic and transformational Lebanese American leader with a vision to inspire kids to achieve their “seemingly impossible” dreams. Ouroumian said, "My vision is to build a movement of fulfilled, prosperous and transformational youth Leaders Now™ for the long-term sustainability of America and the world” is what attracted the artist to ABL and to dedicating 50% of the proceeds from the sale of the Cosmic-Star Cruiser ArtBike to benefit the youth of Dubai, the Middle East and North Africa.” The Artist believes that Ouroumian is doing the same thing that he is in modern art, except with kids: “Anna brings color, light and magic to young people.”

Given her background with familial, cultural and linguistic ties (she speaks four languages, including fluent Arabic) to the region she understands first-hand the challenges that youth of the region are facing. Her story is proof that anyone can overcome tremendous odds to achieve their dreams.

Pre event bids for the ArtBike start at $3 million reserve. All bids should be submitted to ArtBikebid@goabl.org by Oct. 1st. The Cosmic-Star Cruiser ArtBike will be on display at the Big Boys Toys Exhibition from October 3-5, 2014.

Nancy Treder
Academy of Business Leadership
206-380-4000
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