Darius Assemi graduated from California State University, Fresno with a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering. He is President of Granville Homes, a family-run homebuilder established in 1977. In 2006, Darius initiated the annual Granville Home of Hope fundraiser, which has raised over $3 million for many local schools and non-profit organizations. He spearheaded a public launch of the Spark! initiative, a community action vehicle for supporting arts education in Fresno County schools. As the leader of Spark! Darius is credited with the development of an Arts Business Coalition, an advocacy group of business and education leaders dedicated to keeping the arts alive in schools. He was a founding sponsor of the arts fundraiser, heARTbeat, where he organized exclusive performances by a well-known artist for at-risk youth, demonstrating his passion to bring inspiration to the students that need it most.