Behind the Scenes: “Hanging Out” with NetIP Chapter Officers

Tech-Forward NetIP Chapters Participate in Google+ Early Field Trials! 

 24 chapters, 2500+ annual members, and 700+ annual events.  No can deny the impact that NetIP chapters make on a daily basis in their local community and across North America. 

Behind the scenes of this success are 265+ diligent, passionate, and dedicated board members with their attention on every event detail to make each member’s experience the best of the best.   Often, a successful book club, soup kitchen volunteer event, career coaching seminar, or community cultural gala can involve dozens of hours of planning and coordination – often over calling, texting, emailing, or in-person meetings when possible. 

So, it was no surprise when NetIP chapter officers, as leaders of one of the most trend-setting and impactful South Asian networking organizations in North America, were selected as some of the first users of Google+ to provide feedback on how the platform can be used by a geographically dispersed organization and leadership team. 

To kick off the platform for chapters, NetIP was proud to host the first ever cross-chapter video chat on Google+ this week! 

Representatives from over 10 chapters across the United States and Canada and the NetIP North America Executive Team joined to discuss the organization’s goals, share best practices, and brainstorm on how Google+ can increase the efficiency of board operations.  

Discussion topics ranged from personal leadership experiences, regional events, and the upcoming NetIP Conference (www.netipconference.org).

If the overcapacity crowd for the first-ever NetIP “hangout” is any indication, chapter officers are working hard behind the scenes to bring YOU unprecedented events this fall.  

To learn more about upcoming chapter events or sign up for NetIP membership, visit na.netip.org/chapters.

Learn about Jasbina Ahluwalia – Founder of Intersections Match and host of Intersections Talk Radio

Don’t miss the opportunity to see this fabulous speaker at this year’s conference. Jasbina Ahluwalia is an attorney turned entrepreneur, happily married, second-generation, Indian-American Relationship Expert, Matchmaker and Radio Show Host.

She is pursuing her entrepreneurial passion as the Founder and President of Intersections Match, the only Elite Personalized Matchmaking & Dating Coaching Firm in the country serving Selective Singles of South Asian descent Nationwide in the U.S.

The mission of Intersections is broader than elite matchmaking and includes ‘Thought Leadership’ and spearheading a dialogue on relationships and health and wellness, each of which contributes to meaningful and fulfilling lives.

Jasbina is also the host of Intersections Talk Radio, a monthly holistic lifestyle show, focused on our continual evolution into the best versions of our authentic selves – conversations with published authors/experts on relationships and health and wellness. Recent guest include New York Times Best Selling Authors Rachel Greenwald and Lori Gottlieb and Star of Bravo TV Show, THINTERVENTION – Jackie Warner.

She has received worldwide press including in Business Week, Chicago Tribune, Entrepreneur Magazine, San Jose Mercury News, Live TV and Radio.

Jasbina was one of the finalists in OPRAHS search for a new TV Host.

She has also moderated/participated on panels at Harvard Business School, Wharton, Northwestern & Columbia.

Jasbina has anchored relationship Q&As for NetIP, NetSAP Boston, Indus Women Leaders, Cornell India Association, Indo-American Arts Council and has served as a Relationship Expert in publications and online forums throughout the country, including India Currents, ABCDLady.com, Washington Masala, and YourTango.

Jasbina previously practiced law in San Francisco and Chicago. She earned her B.A/M.A. in Philosophy from Vanderbilt University, and JD from the University of Michigan Law School.

Two weeks left! Learn more about other great conference speakers on the NetIP conference website!!

Meet Neera Tanden of the Center for American Progress

Neera Tanden has over a decade of experience in the executive and legislative branch, as well as in campaigns, local government, and think tanks.

As Chief Operating Officer, she leads strategic planning for the organization, manages operations, and oversees the health care program. Neera Tanden has most recently served as senior advisor for health reform at the Department of Health and Human Services, advising Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and working on the president’s health reform team to pass the bill. In that role, she developed policies around reform, and worked with the Hill and outside groups on the president’s health reform legislation.

Prior to that, Tanden was the director of domestic policy for the Obama-Biden presidential campaign, where she managed all domestic policy proposals, including health care.

Before that, Tanden served as policy director for the Hillary Clinton presidential campaign where she directed all policy work, ranging from domestic policy to the economy to foreign affairs, and managed day to day policy announcements. In that role, she also oversaw the debate preparation process for the candidate.

Before the presidential campaign, Tanden was Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs at the Center for American Progress, which she rejoined. She was one of the first senior staff members at CAP, joining as Senior Vice President for Domestic Policy when CAP first opened its doors. In between, Tanden was Senator Clinton’s legislative director, where she oversaw all policy in the Senate office.

In 2000, she was Hillary Clinton’s deputy campaign manager and issues director for her Senate campaign in New York. Tanden also served as associate director for domestic policy in the Clinton White House, and senior policy advisor to the first lady.
Tanden currently has a regular column for The New Republic online and has appeared on the NewsHour with Jim Lehrer, MSNBC, CNN, and Fox. She received her bachelor of science from UCLA and her law degree from Yale Law School.

NetIP Conference Registration is OPEN!

Building Business − A Regular Anthology of Professional and Business Development Articles

A collection of article summaries from various sources (with links to actual articles) focused on Professional and Business Development.  We’ve collected them in one spot, so you can easily scan, review and apply to your career and business.

A Better Family Business Succession (SmartBrief) – Whether you plan to leave your family business to one child or sell it to a third party, open communication with your children and family is key, writes Louis Pashman, who breaks down three possible succession scenarios.

Protect your personal assets when seeking business loans (SmartBrief) – Many small-business loans require a personal guarantee that can put your family’s assets, including your home, at risk. If you must agree to such a guarantee, lawyer Richard Reinis offers some advice: Tell your spouse, limit your exposure, narrow the conditions for enforcement of the guarantee and take out insurance in case of a worst-case scenario.

Good innovators know how to figure things out (SmartBrief) – At its core, innovation is simply the art of figuring things out, writes Dennis Stauffer. That means that the basic skills of good innovators are transferable to almost any situation or problem. “The more skilled we become at figuring out, the more likely we are to find success in any endeavor,” Stauffer writes.

Advice for getting started, from an old hand (SmartBrief) – Launching a venture can be “exhausting, ego shattering and (at times) infuriating,” writes serial entrepreneur Farid Naib, but it’s also “one of the greatest thrills in my life.” To anyone thinking of taking the plunge, he says to go for it, be ready to fail and be prepared for growing pains. And don’t be shy about asking for help, he advises.

Is it time for your business’ checkup? (SmartBrief) – As 2011 nears the halfway mark, it’s a good time to take a step back to evaluate your finances, operations and what you could be doing better, say experts. “Give yourself time to make some adjustments,” said Christina Cardenas. Other experts advise examining personnel needs and inventory as well as accounting and financial processes.

Where to find government money for your business (SmartBrief) The federal government awards cash grants to small businesses every year, but unless you operate in a handful of industries such as biotech, health care or clean energy, you’re better off pursuing state and local awards, writes Louise Lee, who offers tips for getting your share of government grants.

5 Tips For Deal-Making Under India’s New M&A Regime (Law360) – Even after an extensive last-minute rewrite of the regulations, India’s brand new merger control regime — which went into effect this month — will force dealmakers to live with some amount of uncertainty, experts say, at least until regulators tackle a few test cases. Until then, experts say companies should keep these five things in mind when negotiating tie-ups that could have an impact in India.

Richik Sarkar is a partner at Ulmer & Berne LLP, a Cleveland based law firm with a national practice.   In addition to practicing law, Richik is trying to reactivate the Cleveland Chapter of Net-IP.  For more information about Richik vist his LinkedIn Profile.

Cultural Events at the NetIP conference: Wearing an Indian Saree

In addition to providing networking opportunities and a front-row seat to hear reputable keynote speakers, the 2011 Conference will also showcase, culturally-centered events such as “How to Wear an Indian Saree.” Usually worn by our Indian mothers, aunties and grandmothers, young South Asian women seldom get a chance to adorn a saree in their everyday work wardrobe. However, when the time calls to wear a saree for a wedding or other special event, NetIP asks, “Ladies, will you be ready?”

While the style of a traditional saree has evolved quite a bit in its glamour, pattern and blouse cut, each new design still successfully boasts the elegance, grace and sensuality of its traditional counterpart. The video below illustrates the hottest trends that took to the catwalk at the most recent, 2010 Lakmé Fashion Show in Mumbai, India.

The beauty of a saree is that it both reveals and hides an Indian woman’s figure. Each region in India commands a different way of wrapping a saree; the more popular wrapping styles are as follows: Nivi, Gujarati, Maharashtrian, Dravidian, Madisaari, Kodagu, Gona, Mundum Neryathum and Tribal.

Meet Global Director of Yoga Research and Training, Krishan Verma!

Yogacharya and Yoga Shiromani Krishan Verma is the Global Director of Yoga Research and Training and Sri Sri Yoga Teacher Training for the Art of Living Foundation. With the Foundation’s Founder, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, since 1986, Krishan was one of the first teacher training teachers in India and North America. He has trained more than 2,000 teachers in yoga in twenty countries and also teaches advanced meditation retreats. Krishan guides his students to capture the true experience of yoga through the outer study of the ancient discipline and the inner study of the self. Krishan previously worked as a Senior Engineer with the Government of Canada.

Learn more about Krishan Verma, and learn about other fabulous speakers at this year’s conference at the official conference website!