COAF Celebrates the Tacorian Family, Recipients of the 2025 Empowering a Generation Award

At the 22nd Annual COAF Holiday Gala on December 13, the Children of Armenia Fund (COAF) will honor the Tacorian Family with the 2025 Empowering a Generation Award, recognizing their enduring commitment to Armenia’s youth. Rooted in heritage, gratitude, and a profound devotion to family, the Tacorian legacy has carried forward across generations, embodying the values that continue to shape their philanthropy today.

The family’s story begins in post-war Romania, where Gilda Tacorian (née Balian) was raised in a household defined by craft and conviction. Her father, master jeweler Harry Balian, continued making gold wedding rings for loved ones even under the Communist regime, when all precious metals were ordered to be surrendered. When he secretly made a ring for a family friend, he was arrested and imprisoned for a year. “He never revealed the friend’s name,” the family shares. “That act of courage and integrity—choosing loyalty and love above all else—became the moral thread of our family and later the foundation of TACORI.”

In 1962, the Balian family immigrated to California. A few years later, Haig Tacorian—who shared Gilda’s Armenian-Romanian roots—followed her to Los Angeles. Together, they founded TACORI, grounded in the values Haig learned from his father. “Be honest. Persevere. Never give up,” he taught—principles that guided every decision. Haig often spoke of his responsibility to create not merely a company, but a legacy. “He wanted to build something that could stand for hundreds of years,” the family recalls, “a house of craft and values that could continuously give back and open doors for others, much like COAF does today.”

Today, their children, Paul Tacorian (CEO) and Nadine Tacorian Arzerounian (Head of Design), carry that vision forward. Under their leadership, TACORI continues to blend artistry with purpose and to honor the family’s devotion to community. This alignment with COAF’s mission feels deeply natural to them. “COAF represents hope in action,” they explain. “When you are in a position to help, you should. COAF gives us the chance to support the next generation, invest in education, and strengthen the communities that mean so much to us.”

Their connection to Armenia is not abstract—it is personal, ancestral, and alive. “Even from afar, Armenia feels close because its story is part of our story,” the family reflects. Haig and Gilda’s grandparents survived the massacres, and their resilience shaped the generations that followed. “We live the lives we do today because of their strength. Armenia represents family, faith, and the spirit to rebuild and thrive.”

Looking ahead, the Tacorians hold a simple yet profound hope: “For every child in Armenia to have opportunity—to learn, dream, and build a bright future in their homeland.”

From humble beginnings to becoming an iconic California jewelry house, the Tacorian family embodies the belief that legacy is built through integrity, opportunity, and love. Their journey mirrors the very heart of COAF’s mission: empowering the next generation to thrive.

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