Team
Founder & President
Vice President
Vice President & General Counsel
Lead Designer
E-Commerce Director
Accounts Manager
Editor
Logistics Department
Digital Imaging
Sales
Sales & E-Commerce
Jahanshah Josh Nazmiyal
Founder & President Email: josh@rugandkilim.comGrowing up in Tehran and coming to the United States in 1978 as a student at Washington D.C.’s American University, Jahanshah Josh Nazmiyal soon after opened his first atelier showroom in Short Hills, NJ, enjoying one of the most widely regarded collections of Oriental rugs with a passion for their history of inspiring European and 18th-Century counterparts. After opening his first trade-only showroom in New York City — following a prosperous career in wholesale antique carpets — 2020 marks Josh’s 40th anniversary with Rug & Kilim and the long-anticipated opening of his new showroom in Queens, home to a treasury of antique, vintage, mid-century-modern, Scandinavian, Moroccan, European, and custom rug collections complemented by the largest international archive of diverse Kilim.
Cyrus Nazmiyal
Vice President Email: cyrus@rugandkilim.comOperating out of Rug & Kilim’s New York showroom, Vice President Cyrus Nazmiyal oversees sales and operations while continuing to expand the award-winning team with phenomenal success. An honors cum laude graduate from the School of Hospitality Administration at Boston University and an alumnus of Brant Lake Camp, Cyrus embodies the standard for a service-oriented approach in his business philosophy, proven by the essential, admirable relationships he’s cultivated with his clients. A honed student of his craft with a passion for private label opportunities, Cyrus is driven to provide a family experience to our partners, valuing relationships above everything.
Sina Nazmiyal
Vice President & General Counsel Email: sina@rugandkilim.comThe youngest son of Josh Nazmiyal and younger brother to Cyrus, Sina Alexander Nazmiyal is the newest of his name to join the family business at Rug & Kilim. A Bachelor of Political Science from Indiana University who then graduated from Toro Law School in 2019, Sina spent several years in litigation and personal injury law with prestigious firms before choosing to lend his invaluable experience to the growing team. Though he’s certainly hit the ground running since his long-anticipated entry — having already made an impressive reputation among our clients and colleagues — Sina strives to complement both his father’s ambitious energy and his brother Cyrus’s natural leadership with a passion for innovating organization, driving expansion, and exploring communication at the most exciting stage of the firm’s meteoric rise.
Nikita Nagpal
Lead Designer Email: artdept@rugandkilim.comA neo-New Yorker from New Delhi, India, Nikita Nagpal serves Rug & Kilim as Lead Designer leading both our in-house art department and our design department in India, utilizing an extensive background and an equally impressive passion for the industry. An honors bachelor of arts in Fashion Design with an MFA in Fibers from the Savannah College of Art and Design, 2019 marked Nikita as the recipient of the prestigious Red Dot Award for Design Concepts in Material Innovation, the IDA Design Awards, Gold, and a published Finalist in the Dorothy Waxman Textile Design Prize. With multiple bold, pioneering projects under her belt, Nikita believes in the beauty and necessity of Process Art, a builder with a deep love of all things tactile now working directly with Josh Nazmiyal in their common passion for material innovation and creation.
Andy Yoon
E-Commerce Director Email: andy@rugandkilim.comMoving from Cleveland, Ohio, to New York City following his master’s degree in 2016, Andy Yoon joined the Rug & Kilim family in 2018 continuing an impressive and consistent career in e-commerce. A cum laude graduate of Andrews University with an honors MBA in Marketing from La Sierra University, Andy has become a pivotal voice for our team’s online partnerships while maintaining the same standard of courtesy and accommodation Josh Nazmiyal prides himself on offering our trade partners. Key to developing our website and sum digital presence, Andy supports multiple departments while spearheading innovation, mindful expansion, and communication with new clientele to keep pace with the digital future of our industry with the standard we’re known for internationally.
David Vega
Accounts Manager Email: david@rugandkilim.comCelebrating an exciting first year with our team, David Vega represents Rug & Kilim as Accounts Manager to new and established partners in the Caribbean, Florida, and South America, proving rapidly successful in his efforts to develop exciting relationships and growth in the region. An honors bachelor of science in Finance from Nova Southeastern University and former Vice President of Finance for the American Marketing Association, David has since enjoyed several years as a reliable broker in the design and textile industry. Backed by his belief in mutual respect and courtesy, David shares Josh Nazmiyal’s love for design and building relationships as a reliable and knowledgeable representative of our collections; always seeking collaboration with creative designers from all backgrounds.
Vi Sciandra
Editor Email: michael@rugandkilim.comA proud native of Buffalo, New York, Vi Sciandra originally joined Rug & Kilim as Copywriter and quickly rose to the role of Editor, supported by a diverse background in multimedia writing, a studious passion for our field and a natural affinity for leadership. An honors cum laude bachelor of Journalism and Creative Writing from SUNY Purchase, Sciandra’s experience as an award-winning reporter, published author, and multidisciplinary editor in news, publishing and education were linked by a common love of art and creation that led to joining our team. Now working with Josh Nazmiyal to put a voice to the beauty of our collection and explore editorial opportunities, Sciandra believes in the immutable value of research, communication and education in sharing the beauty and history of every piece with our discerning clientele; essential tools to tell its story.
Wilson Ojeda
Logistics Department Email: logistics@rugandkilim.comCelebrating 20 years with Rug & Kilim as the senior member of our team under Josh Nazmiyal, Wilson Ojeda has played a vital role as the head of our Logistics Department since the founding of our New York showroom. A native from Peru with an extensive background in security and communications, Wilson has become the right hand of each of our departments and one of the essential first points of communication for shipping, white glove handling, maintenance, spot cleaning, and our full catalogue of services requiring his technical and managerial expertise. Sharing Josh’s experience in exotic materials and inventory management, Wilson has been pivotal in honing our team’s industry standard for maintaining several collections and ensuring the success of our international trade show presence to an award-winning standard.
Andres Mercado
Digital Imaging Email: digitalimaging@rugandkilim.comA son of Ecuador continuing his exciting career in New York, Andres Mercado joins Rug & Kilim as our lead photographer heading up our Digital Imaging Department. As a proud Bachelor of Graphic Design from UTI, Andres ensures the best qualities of our full collection reach our audience, communicating all the energy and love in Josh’s favorite pieces to bring our brand to life with an eye for the new they both share. Among the most passionate creative voices on our team, Andres’ background as both a prolific creator and teacher of analog and digital photography has been key in recapturing the most essential elements of our craft.
Todd Neitring
Sales Email: todd@rugandkilim.comFollowing exciting beginnings in design with a rare industry niche that drew him to our team, Todd Neitring brings an extensive, traveled background in international luxury that has become invaluable to Rug & Kilim. A longtime New Yorker living in midtown with his partner Toshi—and Kintaro, The World’s Most Perfect Chihuahua—Todd is a natural communicator in the A&D community, knowing firsthand the hard work and accomplishment it takes to thrive in such a field. His own passion as a vintage collector (ask him anything about SS Normandie, Gustavo Pulitzer or Gio Ponti at sea) has given him a greater appreciation for period work such as in our own classics, often a bonding point between himself and his clients. Sharing Josh’s drive for inventive and creative challenges in the industry, Todd’s initiative and natural rapport have become integral to our sales team.
Justin King
Sales Email: justin@rugandkilim.comA Bachelor of Southeastern University, Justin King has proven one of the most promising liaisons of our growing sales team. Inspired by Mediterranean and coastal vibes from growing up in the design culture of Miami, Justin has come to love more modern aesthetics in his projects as he’s found a home in New York the last few years. Sharing Josh’s belief in a collaborative, attentive sales process, some of Justin’s favorite projects include brownstones for unique architectural challenges of maximizing a small space.
Nina Gilden
Sales & E-Commerce Email: nina@rugandkilim.comA proud alumna of Interior Design from FIT with a BFA and Master’s in Teaching Art Education from Tufts University, Nina Gilden continues to carve an exciting and vital role in sales and eCommerce since joining the Rug & Kilim team in 2021. A passionate communicator who’s apprenticed a handful of talented names in the A&D community prior, Nina has already proven one of the most natural, complementary additions to our trade business and exhibitionary presence. She develops a keen rapport with her clients as they bond through a shared love of realizing the potential in any space — all the while imparting the value of building projects around the key elements of flooring first. Growing up between Paris and New York and spending significant time abroad in her career so far, Nina was drawn to her passion for all things handmade, an ability to wear many hats in a fast-paced environment, and the creative space Rug & Kilim continues to offer.