24-year-old Sharad Sagar is the only Indian on President Barack Obama’s list of invitees for a special White House event on October 3, 2016. Dedicated to the spirit of innovation, the event is titled “South by South Lawn: A White House Festival of Ideas, Art and Action.” Inspired by the South by Southwest in Austin which President Obama attended earlier this year, the White House South by South Lawn is the first-ever gathering of creative thinkers, change makers, entrepreneurs and innovators who strive to improve the lives of others and make the world a better place.

Sharad Sagar, a young entrepreneur in the Indian state of Bihar, is the founder and CEO of Dexterity Global, a platform for children to access the best opportunities in education. He launched Dexterity Global in 2008 when he was only 16. Interestingly, Barack Obama was elected president of USA the same year. Dexterity Global nurtures and powers today’s underprivileged children to create the next generation of leaders by democratizing their access to education and connecting them with opportunities, irrespective of their place and family income.

Sharad Sagar was the first change maker, entrepreneur and thought leader from the Indian state of Bihar to have featured on Forbes’ ‘30 under 30’ list for the year 2016. He shared the space in innovation and leadership with the likes of Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai. He was also honored as one of the “100 Next Century Innovators” by the Rockefeller Foundation in 2013.

Since the inception of Dexterity Global, Sharad Sagar has come a long way to impact the education of over 1.2 million middle school and high school students in India and other South Asian countries through a digital ecosystem of educational platforms. It’s a nonstop journey towards infinity thought some of the initial goals are reached, according to Sharad.

I am honored to have received prestigious invitation from President Obama. It is not just an invitation but a rare opportunity to meet some of the world’s best leaders and most innovative entrepreneurs at the White House in Washington DC. – Sharad Sagar

In collaboration with the American Film Institute, South by Southwest, and the President’s Committee on Arts and Humanities, the White House will hold the event in three sections: Interactive, Film and Music. The ‘Interactive’ section comprises panel discussions with influencers and leaders on topics like how to bring about positive change and make a difference using new technologies.

The film section of the ‘White House South by South Lawn’ event is the 3^rd Annual White House Student Film Festival. It will announce the official selection of short films submitted by students in grades K-12 and honor young filmmakers. The ‘Music’ section includes performances by both established and emerging artists whose music impacts lives and inspire people.

Stories of Indians Honored by White House in 2016

• 2 Indian Americans Win White House Fellowship 2016
• Indian American Kids Win White House Recipe Contest
• White House Honors 2 Indian Americans as National Student Poets

Travel Beats, a digital portal for Indian Diaspora by IndianEagle, celebrates the achievements of Indians and Indian Americans from different walks of life. Join our free newsletter for the latest news and stories from USA and India.

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Six Indian American talents made their way to the list of 106 researchers for the Presidential Early Career Awards 2016 for Scientists and Engineers in the United States. The US President Barack Obama has shortlisted 106 scientists and engineers including 6 Indian American researchers for the highest US government honor for independent researchers.

Who These Six Indian Americans among the Awardees are

The Indian Americans among the 106 researchers for the Early Career Awards in the US are Vikram Shyam from NASA, Milind Kulkarni from Purdue University, Sachin Patel from Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Kiran Musunuru from Harvard University, Shwetak Patel from the University of Washington, and Rahul Mangharam from the University of Pennsylvania.

In 1996, the then President Bill Clinton commissioned the National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) to establish an award program in order to recognize the achievements by young researchers and their independent projects in the fields of science and technology. The Early Career Awards was institutionalized within the Executive Office of the US President.

Awardees are shortlisted from participants on the basis of their pursuit and purpose of innovative research in different disciplines related to science and technology. Their education, scientific leadership and community outreach are also taken into consideration for the award.

The young researchers on Barack Obama’s list of awardees in science and technology are accomplished professionals full of potential to take up challenges from climate change to health issues. “We congratulate these awardees and wish them to continue researching on their individual projects for better solutions to existing and impending threats to life, nature, environment and existence,” said President Barack Obama.

Milind Kulkarni, Associate Professor at Purdue University

Among the six Indian Americans to be honored with the Presidential Early Career Awards 2016 is Milind Kulkarni. He is an associate professor with the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Purdue University. His research project involves Programming Languages and Compilers with focus on efficient programming and high performance.

Dr. Vikram Shyam, Senior Scientist at NASA 

Dr. Vikram Shyam is one of the NASA scientists among the awardees this year. His research is focused on technical innovation in fundamental aeronautics at NASA’s Glenn Research Center, Cleveland. His areas of work include computational analysis and conceptual development in biomimetic, energy harvesting, flow visualization and water purification.

Shwetak Patel, Professor at Washington University

Among the awardees for the Early Career Awards 2016, Shwetak Patel is a computer science and electrical engineering professor at the University of Washington. An eminent expert in sensor systems research, Shwetak Patel takes interest in research on Human-Computer Interaction, Ubiquitous Computing, Sensor-enabled Embedded Systems, and User Interface Software and Technology. Development of new sensing systems in connection with energy, water, health and interaction technology is his area of work.

Rahul Mangharam, Associate Professor at Pennsylvania University 

Rahul Mangharam is an associate professor at the University of Pennsylvania. He conducts his research in the department of electrical and systems engineering. Researching on real-time scheduling algorithms for automotive systems, networked embedded systems, medical devices, and wireless control networks is his interest.

Sachin Patel, Assistant Professor at Vanderbilt University Medical Center

Among the Indian American researchers on the list of awardees for the Early Career Awards 2016, Sachin Patel is an assistant professor of Psychiatry, Molecular Physiology and Biophysics at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. The subject of his research project is the role of neuronal cannabinoid signal in the functioning of human brain with focus on psychiatric disorders.

Dr. Kiran Musunuru, Assistant Professor at Harvard University 

Dr. Kiran Musunuru is an assistant professor of stem cell and regenerative biology at Harvard University in the US. He is also an associate physician. Genetics of cardiovascular and metabolic diseases is the subject of his research project. He has developed a ‘genome editing’ solution for reducing cholesterol levels permanently.

These six Indian Americans among the 106 awardees for the Presidential Early Career Awards 2016 belong to a new generation of accomplished scientists, engineers and researchers ensuring the growth as well as evolution of the United States as a leading innovator.

Read More Interesting Stories about Indian Americans

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Finally, the US President Barack Obama’s itinerary in India is revealed. It has put an end to all speculations about his visit to India as chief guest for the Republic Day Celebration. His much-awaited visit is expected to improve the bilateral ties between India and the United States. Barack Obama, along with his wife Michelle Obama, will land in New Delhi on January 25. The infographic by Indian Eagle illustrates the US First Couple’s three-day itinerary in India.

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