Ariana Austin Makonnen
| Princess Ariana | |||||
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Princess Ariana at the Seeds of Africa Benefit in New York City in 2019 | |||||
| Born | Ariana Joy Lalita Austin 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 | businesswoman philanthropist arts manager | ||||
| Education | |||||
| Imperial family of Ethiopia |
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Princess Ariana Austin Makonnen (née Ariana Joy Lalita Austin) is an American businesswoman, philanthropist, arts manager, and member of the former Ethiopian imperial family. She founded the evening arts festival Art All Night and the creative agency French Thomas. In 2018, she and her husband, Prince Joel Dawit Makonnen, co-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 Peace Corps' s NPO Friends of Guyana (FROG) Goodwill Ambassador. In 2019, she spoke at the Third Annual Women's Leadership and Business Conference at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre.