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 22nd, 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’s Marketing Director, Sambhav Puri (aka DJ Daze) spun tunes throughout the night and entertained the crowd.  Attendees had the chance to make new connections with those who were in the job market and were able to talk to fellow professionals about available opportunities.  Overall, the event was a successful night and raised money for a worthy cause.

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