Eight meritorious India-origin students are all set for summer internship in Congressional offices and various departments of the US government in Washington DC. These talented undergraduate students from South Asian communities in the United States have recently been inducted into the Washington Leadership Program 2020 for a first-hand exposure to the dynamics of various federal government agencies and their public service operations. They are Vignesh Iyer, Ananya Kachru, Rucha Modi, Tarun Ramesh, Krithika Shamanna, Hillary Shah, Vishwa Padigepati, and Shreya Pabbaraju.

The Washington Leadership Program is a national non-profit initiative that is exclusively aimed at developing and nurturing the next-gen American leadership from South Asian communities. Instituted in 1995, the Washington Leadership Program (WLP) handpicks interns from among the most promising South Asian undergraduate students, who are US citizens or legal permanent residents.

Picture Credit: TheWLP.com (Vignesh Iyer, Ananya Kachru, Rucha Modi, Tarun Ramesh from left to right)

WLP Scholars 2020: Eight Young Indian Americans

Vignesh Iyer in Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi’s Office

Among the WLP scholars in 2020, Vignesh Iyer from California will be interning in Indian American Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi’s office. An undergraduate at the University of California, he is equally passionate about politics and public service. While serving on the Student Association’s Board of Directors at the university, Vignesh Iyer happened to work with Governor Gavin Newsom and the Mayor of San Francisco on such critical campaigns as racial justice, homelessness, and students’ financial aid. He has worked as a legislative intern in the office of Mayor London Breed. Since he came to the United States in 2014, he has been an active community member.

Ananya Kachru in Pramila Jayapal’s Office

Placed as an intern in Pramila Jayapal’s office, Ananya Kachru is one of the Indian-origin scholars of the Washington Leadership Program 2020. A pride of the Indian community in Connecticut, Ananya is majoring in global affairs at Yale University. She has proved to be a leader on several occasions, including the 2020 South Asian Youth Initiative, a platform for South Asian students in America to have multifaceted discussions on sensitive issues like mental health and gender violence. Apart from being co-President of the Yale Women’s Leadership Initiative and South Asian Society, she is a Yale Campus tour guide.

Rucha Modi in US Agency for International Development

One of the most versatile WLP scholars 2020, Rucha Modi is minoring in public affairs and majoring in global studies at the University of California. Born to an immigrant couple from Gujarat, Rucha is currently busy making a documentary on California’s public higher education system, alongside working on other projects including media rhetoric and LGBTQ nondiscrimination. She aspires to mobilize young Americans of South Asian origin against exclusionary politics and systematic iniquities in India and the United States. On the Los Angeles campus, she has donned the hat of a Lobbying Director for the university’s undergraduate student government. She will be interning with the US Agency for International Development.

Tarun Ramesh in Department of Health and Human Services

All set to intern in the Department of Health & Human Services, Indian American Tarun Ramesh is majoring in economics and genetics at the University of Georgia. His in-depth work on opioid use disorder, sudden closure of rural hospitals, and impact of addiction-induced epidemics on vulnerable sections of society have been published by the Center for American Progress, the Undergraduate Economic Review, the Roosevelt Institute, and the Georgia Political Review. Socio-political campaigns, correctional facilities, and legislators have benefited from the implementation of his policy recommendations. Tarun Ramesh’s investigative research on socioeconomic determinants of addiction makes him a deserving intern for the Washington Leadership Program 2020. He aspires to study masters in health economics.

Krithika Shamanna in Department of Commerce 

Among the Indian American WLP scholars of 2020, Krithika Shamanna is majoring in political science at Rice University, Houston. Her focus is the study of women, gender and sexuality. Alongside pursuing a certificate course in Civic Leadership, Krithika leads a chapter of nonprofit ‘Deeds Not Words’. She aims at studying the intersection of law, women’s rights and public policy in the future. Being a law aspirant, she is focused on protecting the rights of women and economically disadvantaged communities by means of law. She will be interning in the Department of Commerce.

Hillary Shah in Department of Commerce – Office of Civil Rights

One of the Washington Leadership Program 2020 interns, Hillary Shah is placed in the Department of Commerce, Office of Civil Rights. She is majoring in political science and economics at the University of North Texas while minoring in legal studies. She is inclined towards rekindling the American Dream and pooling down divisive politics as well as ostracizing social structures that prevent marginalized communities from realizing their potential. Gun violence prevention and resource distribution to women of color are on her agenda. Hillary Shah aspires to attend a law school and be a public advocacy lawyer to the neglected in her community.

Vishwa Padigepati in Department of Commerce

All set to be interning in the Department of Commerce, Vishwa Padigepati is majoring in Cognitive Science and Political Science at Yale University. Genocide prevention is one of the things that she is very passionate about. Born in India and schooled in France, she calls California home now. In her spare time, she volunteers as a youth leader for Plan International USA. This WLP scholar of Indian origin is keen on studying developmental infrastructure and human rights law. In her campus life, she serves on the board of Yale Review of International Studies.

Shreya Pabbaraju in US Agency for International Department

Of all the eight Indian-origin WLP scholars in 2020, Shreya Pabbaraju will be interning in the US Agency for International Department. She is majoring in Political Science, English Literature and creative writing. A fourth-year student at Emory College of Arts and Sciences, Shreya Pabbaraju is a lead coder and research assistant for a humanitarian project on military violence in Northern Ireland. She is also working on a thesis on violence and crimes against women in India and other developing countries. She has also interned with the Carter Center’s Human Rights.

This story is part of our continued effort to promote achievements of Indians in USA, at Travel Beats – a subsidiary of Indian Eagle. Subscribe to our free newsletter for latest community news, exclusive stories, US immigration policies, and first-hand US-India travel updates.  

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Swami Vivekananda said, “It is only by doing good to others that one does good to oneself.” This maxim is true about Sonny Kakar, a Sikh American of Indian origin, who has imbibed the value of serving the needy. A resident of Washington DC, Sonny Kakar operates a unique food truck to distribute fresh, nutritious meals to the hungry for free in the US capital region where one in every seven households grapples with the pangs of hunger.

Aptly named SevaTruck, Sonny Kakar’s free-meal food truck in the Washington DC metro area and Michigan  is part of SevaTruck Foundation, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization with the vision and mission of mitigating hunger in local communities by providing nutritionally balanced vegetarian meals to anyone in need. Seva Truck has distributed 50,000 free meals to this day.

Picture credit: Sevatruck.org

Three years ago, Sonny Kakar bought an old FedEx truck, got it painted orange, named it SevaTruck and started operating it to serve the kids at hunger risks in underprivileged communities. In only three years of its inception, Sonny Kakar’s SevaTruck in Washington DC became an emblem of humanity, a symbol of selfless service and a pride of Indians in the USA.

Following the success SevaTruck has achieved in accomplishing its hunger-mitigating mission to some extent in the D.C. metro area, Sonny Kakar started the same initiative in Michigan. SevaTruck Michigan has been serving nutritious meals for free in over 35 locations across Michigan, including Detroit since 2017, irrespective of race, religion, gender and age.

Children and veterans in need are the primary targets of the Free Meal Service campaign run by SevaTruck Foundation. Sonny Kakar’s Seva Truck has helped to increase the attendance by 30% in one of the underserved schools by supplying fresh, nutritious meals on a daily basis. 12.9million kids in the United States are in the grips of food insecurity.

Also Check: Indian American Siblings’ Touch of Life Foundation

To combat food insecurity in Washington DC metro area, the nonprofit has partnered with local food banks and several other nonprofit organizations. Sikh Indian-American Sonny Kakar’s free-meal initiative has largely benefited the US Vets which runs an 85-bed facility for homeless veterans and the Latin American Youth Center in D.C. which provides support to more than 4000 underprivileged youths.

The success of Seva Truck is measured not only by the number of meals served, but also the impact the free-meal initiative makes on empty stomachs. Based in Fairfax, Virginia, SevaTruck Foundation is planning to expand its operations in other US cities in a phased manner and is looking to spread happiness.

This inspiring story of SevaTruck USA is part of our continued effort to promote good deeds of Indians or Indian-origin people in USA, at Travel Beats, a leading community portal for Indians in the US. Travel Beats is a subsidiary of Indian Eagle Travel, a most trusted international air travel booking partner of Indian Americans. 

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The celebration of Diwali in the United States is grander this year than the previous years. Starting from the White House and Swaminarayan temples, the festival of lights traveled to Washington Dulles International Airport, the national capital region’s gateway to the world, in a historic first this year. President Trump’s lighting of the ceremonial lamp in the White House and his message about the administration’s commitment to protect religious liberty in the US was followed by a Diwali-special cultural extravaganza at Washington Dulles Airport (IAD).

While the Times Square Diwali in New York is the most spectacular one and the White House Diwali is the most talked about one, the Washington Dulles Airport Diwali has scripted a new history by being the first of its kind at a leading US airport. The credit goes to Akanksha Sharma, marketing associate for Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority, for the initiative.

Located in Fairfax and Loudoun counties of Virginia, Dulles Airport (IAD) caters to thousands of Indians from the Washington DC Metropolitan Area and does have good air connectivity with New Delhi. Besides, it is one of the sources of nonstop Air India flights to India. Evidently, Washington Dulles Airport was the first choice for Diwali celebration at a major US airport.

Washington Dulles Airport’s Diwali 2019 celebration was at its cultural best. With traditional dance performances and henna art demonstration, the celebration was as diverse as the rich Indian culture. Everyone present at the airport that moment was greeted ‘Happy Diwali’ and given a packet of cookies. Freebie international chargers were also distributed.

The students of Nrityaki Dance Academy, Virginia enthralled the onlookers, travelers, airport personnel and Air India passengers with their dance performances making the celebration a riveting glimpse of what Indian culture is meant. The performances – classical and Bollywood – were choreographed by Kathak exponent Shweta Mishra, the founder of Nrityaki Dance Academy. She described the celebration as a matter of great pride and making a part of history.

Sneha Mishra, the winner of the 2019 Miss India DC pageant, happened to be present at the airport during the celebration. Pleased to see the Nrityaki students performing Kathak and Bollywood dance with equal élan, she said, “Diwali celebration is a fantastic initiative promoting our culture in the DMV (DC, Maryland, Virginia) area. Air India flight crew were among the attendees.

We are celebrating #Diwali this morning in the Main Terminal! pic.twitter.com/DuaN0e4uA6

— Dulles Airport (IAD) (@Dulles_Airport) October 25, 2019

Happy with the way the programs were organized, Akanksha Sharma is hopeful about Diwali becoming an annual event at Washington Dulles International Airport. If things fall in place as expected, it will be organized on a large scale next year.

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All the speculations about Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to USA for a meeting with President Donald Trump came to an end with the confirmation of his travel in the last week of this month (June 2017). It will be PM Modi’s first visit to Washington DC in the Trump administration post the US elections 2016. PM Modi’s first meeting with President Trump is scheduled between June 25 and 27.

Both Indians at home and in the US are sanguine about Narendra Modi’s visit to USA and meeting with Donald Trump in June 2017 as it is set to take place when the White House’s stand on H1B visa and optional practical training (OPT) is a big global issue. India’s rejection of the US government’s Paris accord charge is another matter in the background of PM Modi’s visit to USA in June 2017.

According to the schedule of PM Modi’s visit to USA in June 2017, which is not yet fully reveled, he will have an official welcome at the White House and a couple of meetings with the lawmakers in the Trump administration. However, a previously planned visit to Houston for a meeting with leading activists from the Indian community in USA has been removed from PM Modi’s schedule of US visit.

The White House’s recent executive orders to reform H1B visa norms and restrict inflow of foreign workers on US employment visas have thrown the Indian IT sector out of gear. India’s leading IT giants including Wipro, Infosys and TCS, who are the biggest users of H1B visas and who hit the panic button for the US government’s latest work visa policy, are looking up to Narendra Modi’s visit to USA in June 2017 for a positive change.

PM Modi’s upcoming meeting with President Trump has given rise to expectations regarding India’s stand against hate crimes to Indians in USA. When Srinivas Kuchibhotla, an aviation engineer from Hyderabad, was gunned down in the Kansas shooting, certain groups of Indians expressed unhappiness about the way India’s External Ministry of Affairs responded to the shocking incident.

The schedule of PM Modi’s upcoming US visit in June 2017 also includes a round-table meeting with the CEOs of leading American companies. However, the White House has not yet issued any press release about PM Modi’s meeting with President Trump. Reportedly, Donald Trump invited Narendra Modi to visit the United States after a telephonic discussion about bilateral ties between two countries in January 2017.

Indian Eagle, a trusted travel partner of Indians in America for booking their flights to India, publishes stories of Indians in USA, shares latest air travel news and lists upcoming Indian American events on Travel Beats, a leading Indian community portal. 

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Air India is all set to operate weekly three direct flights from Washington to New Delhi, beginning early in July 2017. Air India flights from Washington DC to Delhi will cover 7,480 miles only in 14 hours. It’s the second nonstop route in Air India’s US-India travel network. The new service will also benefit travelers from Maryland, Columbia and Virginia in the Washington Metropolitan Region. Thousands of Indians in the DC-Maryland-Virginia region travel to New Delhi with cheap flight tickets for India from Indian Eagle.

The following are the details of check-in baggage allowance for Washington to Delhi Air India flights in economy:      

As per the information available about Air India baggage allowance for IAD to DEL economy flights, you can check in with two pieces of baggage for free; each weighing up to 23kgs or 50 pounds. The total of three dimensions – length, width and height – of each check-in bag should not exceed 107 inches. Moreover, 62 inches is the limit of linear dimensions of each bag’s wheels and grips for economy passengers of Air India flights from Washington DC to New Delhi, India.

If you travel with an infant, you can carry extra one piece of free check-in baggage on Air India’s economic flights to Delhi from Dulles International Airport. The bag must not weigh more than 10kgs or 22 pounds. The total dimension of length, breadth and height of an infant’s check-in bag must not exceed 45 inches or 115 centimeters.

You can carry one cabin bag and a laptop bag / ladies’ handbag on Washington to Delhi flights in economy just as it is for all Air India cheap flights to India from USA. The cabin bag should weigh up to 7kgs and measure up to 45 inches in size. The airline may not permit cabin bag to infants below two years of age.

You will have to shell out $200 for an additional piece of check-in baggage weighing up to 32kgs as per Air India’s policy for excess check-in baggage on all USA to India flights.

Get Air India’s discounted plane tickets from Washington, San Francisco, New York, Newark, Chicago and other cities at Indian Eagle for your cheapest flights to India from USA. Feel free to call Indian Eagle at 1-800-615-3969 to get itineraries as your travel plans.

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Indians in Washington DC and its neighboring cities will be able to take direct flights to New Delhi since Air India is on an expansion spree between India and the United States. Air India is all set to expand its wings from the capital city of India to connect with more cities in USA. The airline announced to launch direct flights from Washington (IAD) to New Delhi (DEL) in July 2017.

“Both Washington DC and New Delhi are major destinations in the US-India air network. Currently no airline operates direct flights between these two capital cities. There are only connecting flights operated by Etihad Airways, Qatar Airways, United Airlines, British Airways, Air Canada and Asiana Airlines via Abu Dhabi, Doha, London, Toronto and Seoul respectively. The launch of direct flights from Washington to Delhi and vice versa will benefit thousands of Indians in the US capital and its surrounding regions,” says the CEO of IndianEagle, a trusted travel partner of Indians in USA.

Air India currently operates nonstop flights from New Delhi to New York, San Francisco, Newark and Chicago. Gulf carriers including Qatar Airways carry most of the US to India traffic via their respective hubs in the Middle East. Recently Air India linked Ahmedabad City with New York and New Jersey by connecting its Ahmedabad-London flights with its flights from London to Newark Liberty International Airport.

As soon as Air India decides on the date of the launch of nonstop Delhi-Washington service named “Capital Connect”, IndianEagle will add the best Air India fare deals for this new route to its merchandise of USA-India cheap air tickets.

Check details of baggage allowance on Air India’s Washington to Delhi flights, which will be the same as it is for Air India’s San Francisco to Delhi flights. Boeing 777 from the airline’s existing fleet will be deployed for the ‘Capital Connect’ between USA and India.

Travel Beats is an online community portal for Indians in America who Indian Eagle books cheap flights to India from USA for throughout the year. Subscribe to our free newsletter for the latest travel news and Indian American community stories.

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The 2017 Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) in Bangalore concluded over positive notes on the role of youth in transforming India. An annual global convention for leading overseas Indians, it culminated in felicitation of 30 NRIs with the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Awards, India’s highest civilian honor for the Indian Diaspora, by Dr. Pranab Mukherjee, the President of India.

The 30 recipients of the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Awards from among the 1800 NRIs in attendance from 72 countries include six Indian Americans: Dr. Sampat S. Shivangi, Dr. Bharat Haridas Barai, Nisha Desai Biswal, Dr. Mahesh Mehta, Ramesh Shah, and Hari Babu Bindal.

Among the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman awardees in 2017, Dr. Sampat S. Shivangi is a renowned Indian American leader. A street in Mississippi is named after him in recognition of his contributions to the progress and welfare of the community. He was the first Indian American to be appointed for the top health post, the Chairman of the Mississippi Department of Mental Health, in 2014. Dr. Sampat Shivangi was the advisor to the US Secretary of Health and Human Services in the presidential regime of George W. Bush. He is the founder and president of the American Association of Physicians of Indian-origin in Mississippi. The CEO of US Info Systems of Mississippi, he is one of the trustworthy confidantes of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

One of the recipients of the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Awards, India-born and Chicago-based Dr. Bharat Barai is the director of oncology department at Methodist Hospitals in Indiana. He got a mention in the Guinness Book of World Records as the longest serving member of a State Medical Licensing Board in the US. He is a community activist and philanthropist too. He treats uninsured, disadvantaged patients and works to reduce medical expenses for them. Known for his unconditional community services, personal integrity and professional excellence, Dr. Bharat Barai is also in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s coterie of close associates.

Another Indian American awardee of the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman, Dr. Mahesh Mehta is the founder of Vishwa Hindu Parishad of America. He also founded the Hindu Heritage Foundation of America, Friends of India Society International, India Quality Group and several other organizations. He has many widely published articles on socio-cultural, socio-economic and socio-political aspects to his fame. ‘Hindu Philosophy in Action’ is the latest from Dr. Mahesh Mehta’s repertoire of books and journals. Dr. Mehta is a cofounder and director of Hindu University of America in Orlando, Florida.

Nisha Desai Biswal is an Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs among the six Indian American recipients of the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Awards 2017. She helms the United States’ foreign policies and external affairs in India, Bhutan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Bangladesh and other countries in central Asia. Under her distinguished leadership, the US Department of State ensures and enhances human security and national security in south and central Asian nations. Based in Washington DC, Nisha Desai Biswal leads the US’ bilateral consultations with Central and South Asia to deepen ties with those Asian nations.

The Pravasi Bharatiya Divas is a unique platform for Indian Diaspora to engage with Indian government, explore investment opportunities in India, seek chances of contribution to the economy of India, and discuss the issues of concern with Indians abroad. The power of Indian youth was the theme of the 2017 Pravasi Bharatiya Divas in Bengaluru City.

The 2017 Pravasi Bharatiya Divas came to an end with Nisha Desai Biswal’s acceptance speech on behalf of all the awardees.

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The Indian American community in Washington DC is gearing up for a ceremonious welcome to Donald Trump, the 45^th President of the United States. With who’s who from the Indian American community in attendance, the welcome ceremony for the president-elect Donald Trump will be an impressive gala. Mandarin Oriental nearby the Capitol Hill is the venue of the Indian American Presidential Inaugural Ball on January 20, 2017. Donald Trump will take up office on the same day in the morning.

The US elections 2016 proved to be a game-changing event in the political history of America. Trump’s victory sent many into a tizzy, while it is a blessing in disguise for several others. It catapulted some Indian American leaders to the US Congress and brought two Indian American women to the front as key members in the Trump cabinet. To celebrate the achievement of these Indian Americans in the Trump presidency is another objective of the Indian American Presidential Inaugural Ball on January 20, 2017.

One of the most awaited upcoming events in Washington DC, the presidential inaugural ball is organized by a number of Indian American groups, including the US-India Political Action Committee and the Indo-American Center, which are known for their unbiased approach to the presidency of America.

Indian Americans accepted the results of US elections 2016 in a nonpartisan manner since it has paved their way to the White House in Washington DC not as activists or social entrepreneurs but as politicians. South Carolina governor Nikki Haley has been proposed to be the US ambassador to the United Nations in the cabinet of Donald Trump. Seema Verma, a leading health policy consultant, has been selected to helm the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services in the US. Their upcoming new roles will be recognized at the Indian American Presidential Inaugural Ball on January 20, 2017.

The Indian American community had hosted a presidential inaugural ball for Barack Obama at the same venue in 2013. Inaugural balls have been held in honor of American presidents for 228 years. Indian Americans, who though form only 1 percent of the US population, play vital roles in the socio-economic progress of USA.

The upcoming Indian American Presidential Inaugural Ball is a ticketed event. Tickets can be purchased online. 

Also Check 5 Indian Americans in New US Congress

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The 2016 National Book Award of America is conferred on Indian American activist, writer and lawyer Deepa Iyer for her first book, We Too Sing America: South Asian, Arab, Muslim and Sikh Immigrants Shape Our Multiracial Future. The book is a critical account of America’s changing racial landscape and the role of various immigrant communities in it.

Though the book We Too Sing America was published in November 2015, its story is influenced by the dire consequences of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, which is still a trauma in the memory of America. The World Trade Center Attack in 2011 turned the racial landscape of USA upside down to the disadvantage as well as harassment of the Sikhs, the Arabs and the Muslims, which persists even after so many years.

When the September 11 attacks shook the collective being of America, Deepa Iyer was working as an attorney in New York. It begot a widespread anti-immigrant sentiment which injected fears of racial outcry into the nerves of South Asians, Sikh Indians, Muslims and Arabs in America. The constant reporting of communal tensions post 9/11 attacks from all over the United States deeply hurt and moved her.

Currently based in Washington DC, lawyer cum activist Deepa Iyer traces the aftereffects of the 9/11 attacks in the sociocultural fabric of America through storytelling. Her debut book We Too Sing America documents a positive picture of what an important role the various communities of immigrants play in the overall transformation of USA against the widening of racial gulfs in the American society.

Deepa Iyer cofounded the South Asian Americans Leading Together (SAALT) to fight the backlash against South Asian Americans in the aftermath of the September 11 attacks. She helmed the organization as its executive director for 12 years until 2014. In 2009, she formed the National Coalition of South Asian Organizations to bring as many as 43 community based organizations under one roof.

Born in Kerala, she relocated to Kentucky in USA with her parents when she was twelve. She graduated at the University of Notre Dame Law School and Vanderbilt University. Deepa Iyer too faced the ordeals of being an immigrant.

Published by the New Press, the book We Too Sing America exposes the links between Islamophobia and xenophobia and racial anxiety through the stories of violence against the immigrants, including the 2012 shooting at the Oak Creek Gurdwara in Wisconsin, and the protest against the construction of Islamic Center of Murfreesboro in Tennessee.

Currently a Senior Fellow at the Center for Social Inclusion in New York, Deepa Iyer worked on immigrant and civil rights issues at the Asian American Justice Center in the late 1990s. She also gave lessons on Asian American movements and took classes on the South Asian American communities at Columbia University, Hunter College. She is an adjunct professor at the University of Maryland too.

Apart from the 2016 National Book Award of America, Deepa Iyer’s We Too Sing America is one of the Top 10 Multicultural Non-fiction Books of the Year 2016.

Stay Tuned to Stories of Indian American Community

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Atlanta-based Patti Tripathi is up with the Saris to Suits Calendar 2017 edition, which features 13 powerful women activists, humanitarians, entrepreneurs and professionals from different communities. A tribute to women power and an initiative for women empowerment, the Saris to Suits Calendar seeks to raise funds to drive campaigns against domestic violence and gender inequality. Proceeds from sales of the calendar go to support a number of women-aiding activities by several non-profit organizations in USA.

Former CNN news anchor and TriPath Media founder, Patti Tripathi unveils who and what the role models are in the 2017 edition of her calendar which does not objectify women unlike fashion calendars of skimpily clad models. We are honored to profile the inspiring women leaders, who have graced the calendar and supported the move by featuring in the latest edition, at Travel Beats, an Indian American Community portal by IndianEagle. (Know more about Patti Tripathi) 

Hardeep Melamed

Hardeep Melamed, a Punjabi American entrepreneur, is one of the faces in the 2017 edition of Saris to Suits Calendar. The CEO of PurseN, she has been in the fashion industry for the past 20 years. Her career in the fashion retail niche started at an early age. After a stint in managing fashion retail stores in Houston, Atlanta and Los Angeles, Hardeep opened her own store, Mint Beverly Hills, in Houston and Atlanta. A mother of two children, she has launched her own clothing line, Forte.

Kiran Chetry

A Nepali American, Kiran Chetry is an award-winning journalist and the Editor in Chief of the first bimonthly magazine, “The Nepalese American Magazine,” which highlights the Nepali American community’s contributions to the socio-economic progress of USA. A mother of two, Kiran Chetry has been into anchoring, reporting and television broadcasting since 1995 during her professional journey from Maryland to Pennsylvania to California. She prides herself on featuring in the Saris to Suits Calendar 2017.

Dr. Renu Khator

One of the influential Indian American women, Dr. Renu Khator is the President and Chancellor of the University of Houston (UH). Recently she has been inducted into Texas Women’s Hall of Fame for her remarkable contribution to the academic progress of Texas. As Chancellor of Houston University, she is at the helm of a system that caters to over 70,000 students. Born in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, Renu Khator pursued her masters and PhD in political science at Purdue University. She is an eminent scholar in the global environmental policy and a published author too.

Raaheela Ahmed

Raaheela Ahmed in the league of women for Patti Tripathi’s Saris to Suits Calendar 2017 edition is a financial advisory associate and an elected member on Prince George’s County Board of Education in Washington DC Metro Area. She won the Sally Byrd Citizenship Award for her outstanding leadership role at the University of Maryland. Raaheela Ahmed is a double graduate with a B.S. in finance and a B.A. in economics.

Dr. Sangeeta N. Bhatia

Another powerful face of innovation, leadership and entrepreneurship in the 2017 edition of Saris to Suits Calendar, Dr. Sangeeta N. Bhatia is an Indian American biotech entrepreneur, MIT professor, cancer researcher and biological engineer. Born in Boston, she started her career as a faculty at the University of California, San Diego in 1999 and then became an associate professor. Dr. Sangeeta Bhatia along with her students has launched 10 biotech companies to improve human health through medical innovations. She is a proud winner of the Lemelson-MIT Prize, the ‘Oscar for Inventors.’

Malala Yousafzai

Malala Yousafzai is the most familiar face among the women that Saris to Suits Calendar features in its latest edition. The youngest Nobel Peace Prize winner and a staunch activist for girls’ education, she needs no introduction. Her human rights advocacy for education has become a global movement. The United Nations named July 12 “Malala Day” in support of her advocacy for all girl children’s access to adequate education.

Roopa Unnikrishnan

One of the role models of women empowerment for Patti Tripathi’s Saris to Suits Calendar 2017, Roopa Unnikrishnan is a published author, innovation consultant and a Rhodes Scholar from Chennai, India. An ardent advocate of athletics in India, she received the Arjuna Award (India’s highest sporting prize) in 1999. Roopa Unnikrishnan pursued MBA at the School of Business, Oxford University and married Sreenath Sreenivasan, the Chief Digital Officer of New York City.

Rayna Chandra

Rayna Chandra is the youngest of all women supporting Patti Tripathi’s initiative for women empowerment. A World Champion Ballroom dancer, she turned 18 in September this year. She does lots of charity and dances to benefit several initiatives like PACE for girls and Saris to Suits. Based in Florida, she traces her roots to Hyderabad and Bengal. She aspires to study law aiming to help victims of domestic violence. Her surgeon father and dentist mother are well known for their philanthropic activities in Florida.

Dr. Nazeera Dawood

Dr. Nazeera Dawood is a courageous activist for women and a health & wellness ambassador for Fulton in the Greater Atlanta Area. She has been working for community health improvement from India to Atlanta. She serves as the Deputy Chief of Staff at the Fulton County Office of the Chairman Board of Commissioners and works as the health promotion program manager for the Fulton County Department of Health and Wellness. In 2014, Fulton Country honored her and recognized her leadership by declaring October 1 as ‘Dr. Nazeera Dawood Appreciation Day.’

Cara Elizabeth Yar Khan

The bravest of all role models featuring in the 2017 edition of Saris to Suits Calendar, Cara Elizabeth Yar Khan is a fighter and activist. Born in Hyderabad and raised in Canada, she was diagnosed with a rare, progressive muscle-deteriorating condition at 30. However, it couldn’t hold her back from becoming a humanitarian and working for the underprivileged children on behalf of UNICEF. Cara E. Yar Khan went on to work in Angola, China, Botswana, Madagascar, Haiti and Mozambique. Though she needs the support of two leg braces and canes to walk, she plans to cross the Grand Canyon on horseback in April-May 2017 to fight discrimination against the physically challenged.

Dr. Vanila Singh

An Indian American of Rajasthani origin, Dr. Vanila Singh is a powerful proponent of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) for women and girls. She is also an Associate Professor of Anesthesiology at Stanford University. Based in California, Dr. Vanila Singh advocates the national health policy and motivates immigrants to take part in public service as well as political affairs. Among the inspiring leaders in the Saris to Suits Calendar 2017 edition, she is trained in Kathak and Bharatnatyam.

Reshmee M. Bharratt and Puneet Kaur Sandhu

Reshmee M. Bharratt and Puneet Kaur Sandhu are also associated with Patti Tripathi’s Saris to Suits Calendar. Reshmee is an accountant at PwC in Orlando and a member of the Saris to Suits board. Puneet Kaur, a UK-born Punjabi American in Florida, is one of the volunteers for Saris to Suits. An aspiring documentary filmmaker, she is looking to pursue masters in journalist at City University of New York.

Join the Saris to Suits, a non-profit initiative and contribute to empowerment of economically disadvantaged women in developing countries including India. All contributions to this noble charity are exempt from federal tax under 501(C) 3 Revenue Code in USA. For more information, log on to SarisToSuits.org or write to Info@SarisToSuits.org. You can also post your queries in the comment section below.

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