The City of Angels welcomes the Network of Indian Professionals

7th^th Annual Officers Leadership Conference

Celebrating 20 years of South Asian Empowerment

Los Angeles, CA, Feb 10^th 2010: The Network of Indian Professionals’ (NetIP) 7^th Officer’s Leadership Conference (OLC) was held Feb 5 to Feb 7, 2010 at the Wilshire Plaza Hotel, Los Angeles. The OLC served as the national kick-off for the 2010 NetIP calendar year. It provided an open forum for leadership to be recognized, for officers both new and returning to network and form good working relationships. The goal of the OLC has always been to provide an opportunity for NetIP chapter leaders to discuss opportunities and challenges, as well as to collaborate on leading practices as an organization. NetIP North America is the parent organization to its 24 chapters.

“The main goal of this leadership conference was to Inspire and Motivate all our chapter leaders from 24 cities. Based on the overwhelming response, I believe we surpassed our highest expectations. NetIP as an organization has incredible potential, and we’re on our way to becoming a household name, not just in the South Asian community but across North America.” -Shubha Rao, VP Internal Affairs, NetIP North America. Rao’s team put together and managed the conference and logistics in less than 8 weeks.

Attendees from NetIP’s 24 chapters, from coast to coast graced the conference to give feedback and learn about the goals and vision for the organization as a whole. Day one at the conference included a surprise live on-air segment with Brand Strategist Pooja Dhawan and NetIP’s media partner, Hum Desi Radio.

Sundip Arora, President, Network of Indian Professionals of North America was pleased with the conference and the performance of his board. “20 years on, NetIP has made unbelievable strides and leaders from chapters around the continent got a first-hand feel of our progress at our Officer’s Leadership Conference. My goal this year for the OLC was for Chapter Officer’s, new and returning, to Learn, Share, Inspire and Be Inspired. We achieved this through two days of intense collaborative sessions and workshops. NetIP North America is very proud to be part of the biggest OLC in our history and to have set another defining moment for our 20th anniversary.”

Along with ambitious plans to streamline technology across the 24 chapters and the North America parent Organization, NetIP revealed its new intranet which uses google collaboration to make internal communication and reporting seamless. The new VP of Technology, Anish Mistry, explained his efficient plan for the year ahead which included a revamped NetIP.org website and his goal to increase back-end content management efficiency.

Sri Narasimhan, NetIP North America’s VP of Finance and Administration, and his team went over legal, tax and financial reporting requirements for the incoming Chapter Officers. Latha Nehru, VP External Affairs, and her team explained NetIP’s Grameen Foundation initiative in Haiti as well as their plans to forge alliances with other non profits in an effort to raise visibility for NetIP.

The Los Angeles-Orange County (LA-OC) chapter of NetIP helped manage logistics and hosted the evening socials for the weekend. “I was very excited to see that months of hard work had culminated in a successful OLC. The conference setting and venues allowed chapter leaders to network and share ideas in a both professional and social environment.” -Sapan Shah, President, NetIP LA-OC. The Los Angeles – Orange County chapter of NetIP was the host for the conference.

Director of Operations, Santosh Perla, kept the momentum going right from the weeks before the conference with an eagle eye on deadlines. At the conference he kept attendees motivated and energized during a packed presentation schedule.

“More than a forum to share ideas, the OLC was a showcase of the many resources NetIP-NA provides to individual chapters seeking to make an impact in their respective communities.  Our chapter left the OLC with a greater understanding of the tools available to mobilize our membership and enhance the value of the NetIP brand locally.” Ashwin Janakiram, President NetIP Chicago

This year NetIP’s largest event, the Annual Conference is being held in Seattle on August 20-22, 2010. Conference Co-chairs Neha Sharma and Sarika Punjabi presented their conference strategy and theme “Unique by Nature”.

“This OLC was my first NetIP conference experience and I was blown away by the professionalism of the organization. The high caliber of the young professionals in leadership positions in NetIP was very inspiring. It was a great opportunity to connect with people across North America and share experiences. I hope to bring the insight, enthusiasm and strength of NetIP National and other local chapters back to NetIP San Francisco Bay Area. NetIP has great potential for national and local impact on the young professional South Asian community.” Purvi Patel, President NetIP San Francisco Bay Area.

At the conclusion of a weekend packed with valuable take-aways, action items and resources, NetIP and its chapters are uniquely positioned to forge ahead amongst its demographic. NetIP provides the only platform for South Asians in North America to network and grow in their professional and personal lives.

About NetIP

The Network of Indian Professionals (NetIP) is a professional, non-profit organization dedicated to the overall achievement and advancement of South Asian professionals. The primary focus of the organization is to foster a bond among South Asian professionals to unite and support each other locally, as well as to give back and contribute positively to the communities in which they live and work.

Today, the organization includes over 5,000 members and more than 40,000 subscribers in 24 cities across United States and Canada. NetIP has become a premier networking brand over the years. It is the unequivocal voice for an emerging group of South Asians, who excel in every aspect of western society, from business to politics to the arts. The rise of NetIP and its affiliated chapters reflects a general “Coming of Age” by South Asian professionals.

# # #

If you’d like more information about this topic or to schedule an interview contact Pooja Dhawan, Brand Strategy for NetIP North America, by email at pooja@netip.org

Reprinted with Permission from Purti Ruchi Bali, President of the Network of South Asian Professionals DC

Originally posted on January 25, 2010 at http://netsapdc.wordpress.com/

January Third Thursday, January 21, 2010

We (NetSAP DC) held our first Third Thursday of the year at Hudson in Dupont Circle and had a great turnout. By my humble estimate, I think we had about 50 attendees (its hard to gauge as people come in and out of the happy hour). We had free appetizers and great bar specials. To add a professional element to the Third Thursday, we asked all attendees to wear name tags and attach star or smiley face stickers to indicate their professional industry (for example, my purple star meant that I’m a consultant). Most people were good sports and we got a lot of compliments for the simple and effective idea.

Hudson did get crowded as do most of our Third Thursday locations and this only reinforced the fact that Third Thursdays are our most popular event. Our Special Event Director is working hard to secure larger and new venues for this monthly event. We also took cash donations at the door to fundraise for Haiti relief efforts. The cash donations along with 50% of the door cover charge will be donated to NetIP’s National Charity Partner, the Grameen Foundation. In total, NetSAP DC donated $222.00 to the Grameen Foundation! Thank you for your donations! If you didn’t get a chance to attend this month’s Third Thursday, don’t worry there are 9 more to go this year!

Editor’s Note: Proceeds from this event where donated to The Grameen Foundation’s Haiti Relief Fund. Te Network of Indian Professionals North America has pledged to support the initiatives of the The Grameen Foundation in 2010.

Edited by Latha Nehru, VP of External Affairs, NetIP NA, www.NetIP.org

Editor’s Note: Recently NetIP North America’s very own Hardik Shah was featured in an article in the Financial Times, the article is reposted below. Hardik is the Marketing Chair for External Affairs for NetIP North America.

BRICS: The changing faces of global power
By Alan Beattie

Published: January 17 2010 19:05 | Last updated: January 17 2010 19:05
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/95cea8b6-0399-11df-a601-00144feabdc0.html?nclick_check=1

Put a jaguar, a bear, a tiger and a panda together and you might get a good show but you won’t get a quiet life.

The Bric grouping – Brazil, Russia, India and China – has become a shorthand for the rise of emerging markets in the global economy. And after a rather stellar decade, the Brics mainly had a good crisis from which they are now rapidly exiting.

Goldman Sachs, the financial group that invented the category, reckons that China may well become the world’s largest economy before 2030. Collectively, the Bric economies could well surpass output in the Group of Seven wealthy nations – which have dominated the management of the global economy – by 2032.

The Brics already have a bigger share of world trade than the US. China, probably the world’s biggest goods exporter last year, has been supplemented by India’s software and back-office exports, Russia’s oil and gas and the domination of a number of agricultural commodity markets by Brazil’s super-competitive farmers.

While equities in G7 countries were struggling to stay in positive territory during the past five or so years, the Bric share prices, albeit with a steep drop and rapid recovery during the global financial crisis, finished the decade more than twice as high as in 2005. Bric equity indices have emerged; Bric funds have sprung up for investors to pile into the sector.

So as the world emerges from recession, is this a transformational moment when the centre of gravity in the global economy and its governance decisively shifts? Is this a pivot point such as the second world war, where the confident, innovative US muscled aside the weakened, debt-laden economies of Europe and remade the global financial architecture? And, most immediately, are Bric consumers up to the task of rebalancing the world economy by supplanting their acquisitive American counterparts?

The most likely answer is: not yet. Not only are the Brics such a disparate group that almost any generalisation is problematic, but China, the dominant member of the quartet, still seems wedded to an economic model dependent on demand elsewhere.

“The so-called emerging economies, even some like Bangladesh, are undoubtedly players on the global stage,” said Jean-Pierre Lehmann, professor of political economy at the IMD management school in Lausanne, Switzerland. “But I don’t see any great cataclysm in the next 10 years, nor the centre of finance definitively moving east.”

Like a boy band or a street gang, the Brics might almost have been chosen for their disparate abilities rather than their similarities. China’s size and openness to trade give it as much economic clout as the rest put together: Markus Jäger, of Deutsche Bank, calls the hypercompetitive manufacturing exporter “the 800lb panda in the room”. India, similar in population but poorer and economically more insular, is chiefly notable to investors and trading partners for its software and business services. Brazil, despite a sprinkling of manufacturers, remains one of the world’s most efficient agro-exporters; Russia, after feebler attempts to diversify, essentially just sells oil and gas.

The story of their rapid progress is familiar but still dramatic. A decade ago, only one had an investment-grade credit rating; now all do. Only 12 years ago, a Russian debt default and Brazilian currency crisis rocked the world economy; today, they have accumulated vast foreign exchange reserves.

The Brics contributed about half of global growth between 2000 and 2008 – sharply higher than in the previous decade. Yet along with this growth has come an unbalancing of the global economy.

A Chinese growth model based on heavy investment and exports has accompanied vast current-account surpluses across east Asia, matched by a current-account deficit in the US. And despite doing its bit to keep economic growth going during the crisis, it is far from clear that the Middle Kingdom has effected a shift towards consumer demand that a true engine of world growth would achieve.

With a great flourish, Beijing announced a $585bn stimulus package in November 2008 and loosened bank credit. But its ability to create self-sustaining growth was suspect. Rather than handing out cash to consumers to get them spending – a move that might also have encouraged imports – a large chunk of the stimulus went into the old favourite, fixed investment. “If global demand does not recover in time or the stimulus measures fail to stir the animal spirits, China may end up creating overcapacity,” said Mr Jäger.

Razeen Sally, a trade expert at the London School of Economics, said: “The Chinese interventions had the effect of reinforcing existing problems and imbalances. We are going to see a lot of excess capacity in export-oriented industries like steel at exactly the wrong time.”

The repegging of the renminbi against the dollar in 2008, after three years when it was allowed to crawl higher, has also done nothing to shift the Chinese economy from exports to consumer demand. The effect of that decision is multiplied by the copycat actions of many emerging-market countries holding their own currencies down lest they lose competitiveness to China.

Indeed, although the worldwide reduction in consumer demand has cut the absolute level of China’s current-account surplus during the crisis, with fewer ships carrying toys and iPods out of Shenzhen and Shanghai, China continued to gain market share abroad. The International Monetary Fund and others reckon that the apparent rebalancing of the global economy over the past year is temporary. When demand picks up, so will Chinese exports, along with the old surpluses and deficits.

Despite pockets of profligacy, if anything, China’s has become less rather than more of a consumer economy in the past decade. Its overall savings rate grew over the decade. Although much of this rise reflected corporate savings, household savings rose, too, and a greater share of national income went to companies rather than consumers in the first place.

A survey last year by the McKinsey Global Institute backed up what many economists have long argued: that the lack of a social safety net is one of the main reasons that Chinese households save. The top three reasons given were: educational needs, security in case of illness and caring for parents. Changing deep-seated structural factors such as this will not be quick. Nor will it be achieved simply by letting the renminbi rise.

As for the other Brics, whose trend growth rate is slower than China’s, they are unlikely to have a noticeable effect on global demand for some time. Although growth in Brazil and India held up well during the crisis, the former is a relatively mature economy with less scope for rapid growth; the latter an underperformer with a chronic public finance problem and a household savings rate even higher than China’s. Meanwhile, Russia, whose economy contracted sharply during the global recession, still depends on oil prices.

A decade of rapid growth is not enough for the Brics to seize the baton of global economic leadership from the US and western Europe. The grouping, or some of them, may have astonished the world with their progress over the past 10 years. But it will require a qualitative improvement as well as more growth to consolidate that shift of power.

Contribution:
Hardik (HD) Shah
Marketing Chair 2010 - NetIP North America
President 2006-2009 - NetIP North Carolina
HD@NetIP.org
www.NetIP.org

By Rupa Ramaswamy, Community Chair, Network of Indian Professionals Pittsburgh

An earthquake, never felt before

A Tuesday afternoon, 12th January 2010, with people all over the world still living in their memories about their New Year events and celebrations, an earthquake hit our planet, in the Caribbean city of Port-au-Prince, Haiti. This natural calamity was worst of its kind in 200 years with 7.0 magnitude followed by twelve aftershocks greater than magnitude 5.0. Aaaahhhhhh!!!! This is how I responded when I first heard about this. The consequences of this earthquake were unimaginable to me. I quickly started browsing through different sites to get more information about this devastation. It was really sad to read about the aftermath of this incident. The photos made me feel even worse. Soon I learnt that the entire city, the capital of this tiny little country is totally destroyed leaving behind the survivors who are both physically and mentally wounded!!!!

Time to Act

The weekend following the earthquake, a Sunday afternoon, I was flipping through channels and listening to Haiti news. Suddenly I felt a need to do something to help these victims. So I immediately sent out an email to Network of Indian Professionals Pittsburgh board members asking for their opinion. Within few hours our team actively responded to the email and we decided to talk about this in the meeting, which was luckily scheduled the same evening. During the meeting, most of the members came up with great ideas. We all knew we had to act fast and decided to organize a fundraiser event at a local club ‘Firehouse Lounge’ and collect minimal cover charge from all the customers who visited that place. When we approached the club owner, he agreed to this but only on one condition, that being collection of cover charge only till midnight. The team definitely was concerned with this condition, as we didn’t know how much money we could raise. We did not have any $$$$ amount in our mind, but we wanted something substantial. Finally we decided to organize the Haiti Fund raiser event on following Friday evening at Firehouse Lounge.

(L to R) NetIP Pittsburgh Board Members: Pradeep Modi - Social & Co-Cultural Chair, Preetham Gowda - Co-President, Ketaki Desai - Co-President, Rupa Ramaswamy - Community Chair

The Event Day

Friday, 29th January 2010, members of NetIP Pittsburgh, met in the evening and headed together to the club. Two of our team members had also made posters for this event, which were displayed at the entrance of the club. It was 9:30pm and we were all set and ready to start the event. We were definitely concerned in the beginning as we had only few people entering the lounge between 9:30 and 10pm. As the clock ticked, we had more and more coming in and our cashbox started filling up. Within no time, we had a long queue at the entrance. This lounge happens to be a very popular place and they did expect a good number to show up especially on a Friday night. Also fortunately, that evening the lounge had special DJ who volunteered to help us by repeatedly announcing about our fundraiser. A few customers at the lounge were really thrilled by this event and generously gave more than the cover charge. Since we had a deal with the owner to collect the charge only till midnight, everyone in the team was looking at his or her watch, as the minute hand seemed to tick faster than usual. Even before we realized, it was midnight and we were asked to stop the collection.

Everyone in the team was curious about the outcome of the event and patiently waited to hear the final amount. Within no time, one of our team members came out with the total. Yes, NetIP Pittsburgh had raised $1000 in two hours!!!!! It was an Ah Ha! moment to the entire team.

Thanks to Firehouse Lounge and all the wonderful people who helped NetIP Pittsburgh in its efforts to help Haiti victims.

Editor’s Note: Proceeds from this event where donated to the Grameen Foundations’s Haiti Relief Fund. NetIP North America has pledged to support the initiatives of the The Grameen Foundation in 2010.

Edited by Latha Nehru, VP of External Affairs, NetIP NA

www.NetIP.org

Originally published by the Carnegie Magazine. Reprinted with Permission.

SANTOSH PERLA, INDIA AND ZAMBIA

Reprinted with permission from the Dec. 16, 2009, issue of INDIA New England. http://www.indianewengland.com

By JEN RICHMAN

Sundip Arora In three years, Sundip Arora has risen from volunteer with the Network of South Asian Professionals in Boston to leader of the group’s national parent organization, the Network for Indian Professionals, North America. Arora, who currently is serving as vice president of external affairs for NetIP [at the time of print in 2009], is set to take over the reins of leadership from President Aruna Paramasivam on Jan. 1. His ascension through the network’s ranks was an organic journey, Arora said. “I have always been active in the community,” Arora said, adding that as long as he finds value in his membership he will continue to contribute to NetSAP and NetIP. “We’ve come a long way,” said the Chestnut Hill, Mass., resident of the 20-year-old national professional network. Still, Arora says there are things that the group might do better, including several areas on which he will focus as president in the year ahead. “Our first goal is to continue our growth,” Arora said. NetIP North America has 5,000 paid members, and reaches out to 40,000 professional in the United States and Canada, but Arora said he believes membership can and should be expanded. There are about 250 to 300 paid NetSAP Boston members. Increasing external visibility is another of Arora’s top priorities, followed closely by deepening NetIP’s identity, driving its logo to be an instantly recognizable symbol of the South Asian business community. In order to increase visibility, Arora said he will seek to partner with nonprofits like the Grameen Foundation, which grants microloans to small businesses and empowers some of the world’s poorest people. Arora already has met with the executive director of the United Nation’s World Food Programme in order to “forge a partnership going forward,” said Arora. Strong ties with music giant MTV, Sahara TV and Asian Television are among the arsenal of contacts Arora is trying to strengthen. Arora grabbed NetIP’s top spot when members from each of the group’s 24 chapters met over the Labor Day weekend in Toronto for the 18th annual conference and to elect its incoming slate of leaders. Co-chairing NetIP’s national annual conference “changed the course of history” for Arora, he said, giving him the confidence to take charge of a sprawling professional organization. About 850-900 people gather from across the United States and Canada for the national conference each year to listen to high-profile speakers talk about business issues. “It’s a way for all of us to come together and meet each other,” Arora said. Networking is an essential part of NetIP’s functioning, and these meetings offer a chance to mix official NetIP business with the kind of relationship-building NeIP is known to provide its members. As NetIP’s president of external affairs, Arora gained exposure in dealing with the public. The role entails acting as the group’s external-facing representative and creating publicity for the organization. Arora is carrying over to the president’s post some of his responsibilities from his days working in external affairs, including brand consistency, increasing visibility, securing and maintaining relationships with partners and sponsors, and various strategic marketing initiatives. In his previous role, Arora helped create a partnership with nonprofit Akshaya Patra, a Stoneham, Mass.-based nonprofit that helps feed Indian school children. He also worked deals with various airlines, the National Basketball Association and online marketplace Ebay. Arora works as a manager at high-tech startup Metatomix, based in Dedham, Mass., where he leads a small team that supports the company’s sales from a technology standpoint. Prior to his work with Metatomix, Arora worked as a consultant for Deloitte Consulting LLP, where he “was always trying to convince people to buy an idea or reinforce change to streamline technology or internal processes.” Arora said he hopes to sell NetIP’s brand name and success to a broader public, gaining brand recognition. Part of the success NetIP has already enjoyed ties in with prominent former members. Arora points to the nation’s chief technology officer for the Obama administration, former NetSAP President Aneesh Chopra, to highlight the caliber of members NetIP is capable of churning out. “NetIP’s chapters are as strong as their members and the members are as strong as what they get from NetIP,” said Arora, a native of Delhi, India. Arora, for his part, is not shy about recognizing his strengths. His ability to juggle a full-time, 50-hour-per-week job while putting in 40 hours per week working with NetIP and being a newlywed is a feat he knows is not ordinary. Arora married NetSAPs Boston chapter’s outgoing president, Pallavi Chhabra, in mid-November. Her successor has not been named at the writing of this article. “I tend to do it justice,” Arora said of his involvement with NetIP. “I don’t take up anything I can’t manage.” As much as he is confident he will ably lead NetIP through 2010, Arora says he is accepting of and anticipating the efforts of many other NetIP members to aid in the experience. “It comes down to individuals willing to help,” he said. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Network_of_Indian_Professionals

NetIP goes Green with Simran Sethi, Environmental Expert for Oprah.com
20th Anniversary brings Social Responsibility

Feb 17, 2010, New York, NY: The Network of Indian Professionals of North America (NetIP) begins a new chapter in their history today as they welcome Simran Sethi, named one of the top ten eco-heroes of the planet by the UK’s Independent and lauded as the “environmental messenger” by Vanity Fair. Prime Time with NetIP on HumDesi Radio is NetIP’s monthly talk show on HD radio that features inspirational guests and broadcasts world wide to a large listenership. Simran Sethi is also an award-winning journalist and associate professor at the University of Kansas School of Journalism and Mass Communications, where she teaches courses on sustainability and environmental communications. She is currently writing a book on psychological barriers to environmental engagement and is the contributing author of Ethical Markets: Growing the Green Economy, winner of the bronze 2008 Axiom Award for Best Business Ethics book.

The live segment airs Wednesday, Feb 17, 2010 at 7pm EST on www.humdesiradio.com as well as on HD radio in select cities. With NetIP’s much anticipated annual conference being held in metro-natural Seattle this year, the stage is being set for NetIP’s first ‘Green Conference’. Seattle’s Government and residents have made sustainability a part of their everyday lives and proudly hold on to the #2 rank for America’s cleanest cities by Forbes.

“For our anniversary, we decided to set ourselves apart from the other organizations out there. One way we are doing that is by setting the bar for social responsibility. With the support of our leaders and membership, we have begun a conscious effort towards green living in our communities. By encouraging use of energy efficient bulbs, recycling and using recycled products, we hope our organization will set the tone for others to follow.” – Sundip Arora, President, Network of Indian Professionals of North America.

The conference will be hosted in hotels with Corporate Social Responsibility as well LEED silver certified rankings. In addition to focusing on paperless technology, local produce and organic foods will be served to delegates. Every facet of the conference will aim to have a green component. This year marks the 20th anniversary for NetIP. The organization has planned on making an impact through their philanthropic endeavors, social responsibility, and hopes to continue making strides towards becoming a household name.

Born in Germany, Sethi made her way to the US and began the early days of her career with MTV news. She worked with Al Gore on The Alliance for Climate Protection, a series of podcasts that serves to educate the global community about the climate crises. Sethi’s blog articles grace notable outlets such as Oprah.com, The Huffington post and The Sundance Channel. She has appeared on Nightly News with Brian Williams, Oprah, The Ellen Degeneres Show and The Martha Stewart Show.

“NetIP has the opportunity to reach a powerful group of constituents that can really help turn the tide on sustainability. This effort involves more than changing light bulbs; it requires a transformation of how we conduct business in the 21st Century. I am excited this is the focus of the upcoming conference and glad to be a part of the conversation.” – P. Simran Sethi

NetIP is the only South Asian organization for professionals with a talk show on HD radio. The goal of the show has been to feature South Asians that inspire lives through their work, their life stories and their innate strength. Previous guests have included Nandita Das, Maulik Pancholy, Ravi Batra, Surya Yalamanchili and Robert Chatwani among others. Upcoming guests include Naresh Vissa with CNN Radio and Shibani Joshi with Fox Business News. Show information and podcasts can be found at www.netip.org/primetime

About NetIP
The Network of Indian Professionals (NetIP) is a professional, non-profit organization dedicated to the overall achievement and advancement of South Asian professionals. The primary focus of the organization is to foster a bond among South Asian professionals to unite and support each other locally, as well as to give back and contribute positively to the communities in which they live and work.

Today, the organization includes over 5,000 members and more than 40,000 subscribers in 24 cities across United States and Canada. NetIP has become a premier networking brand over the years. It is the unequivocal voice for an emerging group of South Asians, who excel in every aspect of western society, from business to politics to the arts. The rise of NetIP and its affiliated chapters reflects a general “Coming of Age” by South Asian professionals.

For more information visit www.netip.org

# # #

If you’d like more information about this topic, or to schedule an interview contact, Pooja Dhawan by email pooja@netip.org

Contact: Pooja Dhawan
Brand Strategy, NetIP North America
pooja@netip.org

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Network_of_Indian_Professionals

NetIP Sponsor Message:

Celebrate Valentine’s Day weekend with the new Shah Rukh Khan-Kajol blockbuster MY NAME IS KHAN opening this Friday FEB 12 Nationwide.

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Environmental Expert: Oprah.com

NetIP is pleased to have Simran Sethi on our radio show this month. Join in the conversation on February 17th, 7pm EST on HumDesiRadio.com as we talk about green living and the environment.

Simran currently blogs about energy policy and life cycle analysis for The Huffington Post and Alternet, and about the process of greening her own home in Lawrence, Kansas for Oprah.com.

Simran Sethi is an award-winning journalist and associate professor at the University of Kansas School of Journalism and Mass Communications, where she teaches courses on sustainability and environmental communications. She is currently writing a book on contemporary environmentalism and has been named one of the top 10 eco-heroes of the planet by the UK’s Independent and lauded as the “environmental messenger” by Vanity Fair.

Click on HERE for HD radio station information and podcasts
Click HERE for our facebook event

By Sumina Bhatti, Sponsorship / Fund-raising Director; NetIP Austin

Though it’s less than a year old, the Network of Indian Professionals Austin Chapter is making a splash.  The Chapter’s board of 13 committed leaders is quickly taking the group to a higher level of success in 2010.  With President Sonia Kotecha at the helm for a second year and a board retention rate of 100%, the NetIP Austin crew is dedicated to helping each other and our community.

On Friday January 22^nd, NetIP Austin partnered with Submerged Martini Lounge for a Fundraiser benefiting Haiti.  One dollar of every drink purchased that night was donated to Doctors Without Borders.  The event was a great success for both Submerged and NetIP with a 70% increase in attendance from events a year ago and we saw many new faces. NetIP Austin used the power of social networking through mediums like Facebook, and this brought out many first-time folks with several committing to becoming paid members.

NetIP Austin holds regular events, including a monthly Dinner Circle for that allows professionals to network in a relaxed environment; monthly happy hours; and Quarterly Politics and Pizza events to discuss current political issues.  Our new leadership team has formed a regular community service initiative that is going strong with one event per month. Past events have included everything from Tree Planting, Book Sorting, and Canned Food sorting at the local food bank.

The NetIP Austin chapter is committed to creating a culture that encourages service opportunities and engagement within our community.  The chapter plans to include many more events that give back to the community and that provide valuable social, professionals, and cultural activities.

Edited by Latha Nehru, VP of External Affairs, NetIP NA