” Participants are asked to symbolically Work an Hour towards the cause of children’s education by donating an hour’s worth or more of their salary.”

This year, the event began on July 15 and concludes on September 15 spanning through India’s Independence Day on August 15 and Teachers’ Day on September 5. Thirteen projects across Asha have been showcased in this year’s WAH. Donors will have the ability to give to a project of their choice.
Asha’s project partners selected for WAH support, typically require larger sums of money, more than what a single Asha chapter can raise, in order to facilitate fixed expenditure on items such as infrastructure, construction and other one-time costs and recurring expenses. WAH aims to help such projects by this worldwide campaign to raise funds across all projects.

All Asha projects are closely monitored by Asha project coordinators to ensure that the funds are being properly utilized and the proposed benefits are actually being realized by the children in the project.
The first WAH campaign started in 1998, raised over $30,000 from close to 700 donors. Last year, WAH raised over $146,000 with a donor base of over 900 participants.

To learn how you can “Prepare, Help and Empower”, click here.

Asha is one of NetIP’s Alliance Partners.  NetIP is interested in creating long-term mutually beneficial relationships with organizations that are dedicated to the growth and advancement of the South Asian community.

For more information about our Alliance Partners, or to become a NetIP North America Alliance Partner and gain access to reach over 350,000 people, please email Kanika@NetIP.org

http://www.grameenfoundation.org/vote

Grameen Foundation is in the final countdown. It’s still in a tight race with a very strong competitor where EVERY vote counts. After battling for the last 12 weeks for a $200,000 grant from American Express, the Foundation is hoping to put this money to good use helping the world’s poorest.

NetIP, our support is crucial. With an outreach to over 40,000 South Asian Americans and the drive to succeed, we have the voters Grameen Foundation needs to get this grant and help empower the poor in South Asia – and throughout the world – by providing access to microfinance and technology.

Let’s create a world without poverty!

If you’ve already voted, thank you.  If not, please take the time now – it will only take a couple of clicks and minutes of your time. You can vote once from each e-mail address you have.

And no matter what, please encourage everyone you know to vote for Grameen Foundation before 11:59 p.m. PDT on Sunday, August 22nd. This is the last weekend!

A vote for Grameen Foundation is a vote to make poverty history!

Thanks,
All of us at Grameen Foundation

P.S. After you vote, please spread the word to your friends!

Tweet this:

Join me and #netipna in fighting global #poverty w/ #microfinance & VOTE 4 @GrameenFdn to win $200K! http://bit.ly/Vote4GF #Vote4GF

Tell your friends on Facebook. Copy and paste this text as your status:

LAST CHANCE! Vote before 11:59 p.m. PDT to help Grameen Foundation create a world without poverty by providing microfinance and technology products and services to the world’s poorest, especially women. Make a difference! http://bit.ly/Vote4GF plz RT

neoDesi superstar, Jay Sean is ready to “party like it’s the end of the world” and take down the iTunes charts yet again. He is back with the much anticipated “2012 (It Aint The End)” – his new single with rapper Nicki Minaj, a video and a new album set to release in November.

“2012 (It Aint The End),” which hits iTunes on August 3^rd, is an energetic R&B, dance-pop track that re-imagines the apocalypse into a celebration of life and love. Joining Jay Sean on the track is Nicky Minaj, the current queen of rap adding a spitfire tenacity to Sean’s velvety, sexy pop vocals.

Click here to see Jay Sean wishing NetIP on its 20th anniversary: http://bit.ly/ag2HPS

Fans who are anxious to see the video for “2012 (It Aint The End)” will have to wait until August 8^th when it premiers on MTV.

“2012 (It Aint The End)” is the first record off of Jay Sean’s second American album, “Freeze Time” with Cash Money/Universal Republic. The album will release in stores and on all digital platforms on November 2^nd.

Jay Sean’s American debut, “Down,” became the #1 most downloaded track in America and reached #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart when it released in 2009, making him the only solo artist of South Asian descent and first UK urban act to top the Billboard chart. Jay Sean and his team credit much of the initial success of his American career to the South Asian demographic. Jay and his team hope that his fans will mobilize to endorse South Asian artists in mainstream America and support “2012 (It Aint The End)” as it hits airwaves and iTunes.

Check out Jay Sean’s single “2012 (It ain’t the end)” out now on iTunes: http://www.bit.ly/JaySean2012

Monopoly – a simple game we all grew up playing.  People playing that game can be divided into two groups: the smaller population that always wins, and the rest of us.  Perhaps it is the dice? But it’s probably the strategy. It’s a game that can be applied to real life, in which investment in real estate is still the most lucrative option; the question now is where and when?

At this year’s NetIP Annual Conference, IREO, India’s leading real estate developer, will be hosting a panel to explore purchasing Real Estate in India, investment opportunities for NRIs, and the changing face of India’s real estate and infrastructure space. Global companies are flocking to India for office space across the country. The expanding workforce in urban areas is driving the need for quality housing, and the Indian government has estimated there will be a deficit of approximately 26.53 million units by 2012. The housing markets in these growing cities have held up during from the worldwide downturn in 2008-2009.

One of the cities experiencing an expansion surge is Gurgaon in the Delhi NCR, named in a recent study by Jones Lang LaSalle Meghraj as the top city for residential real estate investment. The honor was bestowed due in part to the rapid increase in office and retail space, the quality residential developments being constructed, diverse industries, and favorable connectivity to Delhi with the new Gurgaon-Delhi Metro and NH-8, an express route to the International Airport and Delhi.  The current prices of homes in the city have increased by 40-100% since the minimum recorded prices during the slump of late 2008-early 2009. An example of this demand is IREO’s first project in Gurgaon, The Grand Arch, which has seen a 38% rise in prices in less than 6 months following initial bookings in September 2009. It is not about playing the investment game – it’s all about strategy.

Real Estate Opportunities in Gurgaon

Just to give a little taste of what types of properties are in Gurgaon:

• IREO Victory Valley: Home to the largest tower in North India, soaring to 51-stories. Luxury apartments; over 7 acres of landscaped gardens, two clubhouses, and a beach-resort themed swimming pool.
• DLF: The Aralias: High-end apartments overlooking the DLF Golf and Country Club, for sale by invitation only. Each unit is built to suit each unique buyer.
• IREO Uptown: 2-4 bedroom 3-side open and villa-like apartments with spacious balconies; a state-of-the-art clubhouse and recreational facilitates.
• Tata Rasinia Residency: Spread over 12 acres hosting 9 towers with a mix of various apartment types to fit various family needs, ranging from 3 bedroom apartments to independent villas.

About IREO

IREO is the first and largest FDI (foreign direct investment) investor in Indian property and a leading pan-India developer. Since 2003, IREO has invested US $1.5 billion in a portfolio of 14 projects in prime locations across 3,000 acres of owned land – one of the leading pan-India asset portfolios. The company has evolved as a fully integrated real estate organization that is the developer of its projects, and possesses a diversified portfolio consisting of master planned gated communities, mixed-use office and retail spaces, industrial parks including SEZs, and hospitality properties. Before the end of 2010, IREO plans to launch over six million square feet of housing.

The real estate market is quickly changing, and if you learn the rules now and take advantage of the expanding Indian real estate market, soon you could be the prosperous banker of your own monopoly.  Be sure to attend IREO’s panel for more details about real estate opportunities in India.

The Indo US Council just announced their set of initiatives for boosting the influx of visitors to Atlantic City. “This action of hosting numerous events in the area will attract the large Indian American community living in the north east US to Atlantic City,” says Dr. Sanjay Gupta, president of the council, “with India ’s Independence Day Celebrations being the first one on the agenda.”

On August 13th 2010 the India’s Independence Day Celebrations will commence with a night of music and dance featuring a live concert by “the international pop sensation and multi-platinum selling Cash Money/Universal Republic recording artist Jay Sean” , at the Trump Taj Mahal Arena followed by a colorful parade next day on August 14th. The India Day Parade will march on Atlantic City’s famous boardwalk and it promises to flaunt magnificent floats displaying the ravishing and diverse Indian culture with its glory and grandeur. The parade will end in a big display of Indian handicraft, beautiful clothing and jewelry .Invitees as chief guests include Bollywood stars, prominent professionals & businessmen with local and central government officials.

To organize these events, the council has the help and support from several different social and professional organizations, such as NetIP, including physicians, hotel owners, business owners and other professionals. These events are expected to attract Indian-Americans from the whole Northeastern corridor, where a whopping 35% of its population lives, nearly a million. The Independence Day Celebrations alone is expected to bring in excess of over 50,000 visitors to Atlantic City.

One of the main attractions added to bring in more visitors to the region is the “PALACE ON WHEELS”. The Palace on Wheels is a world-famous one-of-a-kind train in India that is fit for kings and queens. The interior décor is palatial giving you an experience of splendid and enchanting royal journey. ACES trains of Atlantic City will have the flavor of” Palace on Wheels” for the celebrations.  This special train will run between New York City and Atlantic City featuring a touch of Indian décor with tasty Indian food and Indian models dressed traditionally to give you the experience of the original. A unique experience, indeed, will be made possible with the help of Borgata, Harrah’s and Caesars casinos.

Additionally, a Teen Patti tournament within that weekend is also in the works. Teen Patti, widely known as Three Card Poker, is an integral part of the Indian culture. Apart from being one of the most favored card games in India , it has also embedded itself within the Indian festivals. It is meant to be played during festivals like Diwali (Festival of Lights) and Holi (Festival of colors) to bring luck and fortune. Tournament such as this will also play its part in attracting players to the casinos.

NetIP members get discounted tickets for groups of 10 or more at the $50 level. For more information contact pooja@netip.org

Not sure if you saw the article in LA Times about desis and their affinity to South Asian programming on Dish…pretty interesting, especially when they quote that roughly one-third of all South Asians in the US subscribe to some sort of South Asian programming.

The numbers are out there: “According to the U.S. census, the Indian American population in the country was 1.7 million in 2000, a figure that had doubled since 1990, and is likely to have doubled again. The largest concentration is in California, followed by New York, New Jersey, Illinois and Florida. The majority are college graduates. They have the highest per capita income of immigrant populations. Advertisers appealing to the demographic include Citibank, State Farm, Vonage and Metlife, which create ads specifically for the market.”
More interesting quotes..“We’re seeing a real flowering in demand,” said David Jensen, vice president of content acquisition for Comcast. The cable operator provides eight South Asian linear channels — among them SET Asia (Sony), Zee TV and STAR India PLUS — in Northern California but is looking to expand its reach into other parts of the country this year. A new platform providing some 90 ethnic channels will include 10 targeted toward Indians. Comcast also carries “Bollywood Hits on Demand” nationwide.

The rise in population numbers, awareness and demand has dovetailed with increased technical capacity, he said. “Those in programming will be asking, ‘What can we do with all this new bandwidth?’ And the two areas that stand out are Bollywood and the Hispanic community,” he said…”

Have we truly arrived?

“All people are entrepreneurs…” -Muhammad Yunus, Founder of the Grameen Bank, Nobel Peace Prize Winner

L-R: Sonal Mukhi (Outdoors Club Chair, NetIP Miami),
Anit Agarwal (NetIP Bay Area),
Praveen Yalamanchi (President, NetIP Miami),
Jasmin Rohman (VP of Events, NetIP Dallas)

NetIP has had a long standing history with our Alliance Partner organization The Indus Entrepreneurs (TiE). TiE is a global, not-for-profit, dedicated to fostering entrepreneurs across its international network. Since its founding in 1992, TiE has grown to become the world’s largest organization for entrepreneurs and professionals, with membership spread across 54 chapters in 13 countries.

This year many NetIP members from across the country came to be inspired at TiECon, TiE’s annual National Conference which boasts to be the world’s largest conference for Entrepreneurs. The conference offered attendees the chance to connect and engage with entrepreneurs, VCs, industry executives and thought leaders over two full days of insights, sharing of business ideas, and power networking.

On Thursday May 13th the 17th annual TiECon, held at the Santa Clara Convention Center in the heart of Silicon Valley, started with a VIP Reception with Chief Technology Officer of the United States and former NetSAP Boston President, Aneesh Chopra.

This was followed by the actual kickoff Friday morning. This year the theme was “It’s In Your DNA” which goes to the point that we all have it within us to become an entrepreneur and harness our great ideas and put them in action. The conference offers the perfect ecosystem for building and launching a great company. With over 3000 attendees, 50 sessions featuring 150+ speakers, industry leaders and experts across entrepreneurial and business topics, and five focus segments (Internet, Software, Wireless, Clean Tech and Bio Sciences), this was a great event to garner the skills, resources, and contacts entrepreneurs need to succeed!

TiECon 2010 Highlights:

TiE50 – The 50 most enterprising startups in the fields of –Software, Wireless, Internet, CleanTech, and Biosciences

Power Connect – Power Networking with a Segment Focus

Business Bootcamp – Starting a Company. Running a Company. Taking it to the Next Level.

The Outer Realm – Cutting-edge research that will shatter your perceptions of technological and business boundaries

Key Note Speakers Included:

G. Steven Burrill (the BioSciences Pioneer, CEO of Burrill &Co.), Aneesh Chopra (first Federal CTO of the USA), Hakan Eriksson (SVP, CTO, Head of Group Function Technology and Portfolio Management, Head of Ericsson, Silicon Valley), Jeff Hayzlett (CMO of Kodak), Reid Hoffman (Co-Founder and Executive Chairman, LinkedIn), Deep Nishar (Vice President, Products, LinkedIn), Dr. K. Anji Reddy (Chairman of Dr. Reddy’s Labs, leading Indian Pharma Firm), Sir Martin Sorrell (Head of 250+ companies at WPP, the world’s largest advertising firm), Bill Sheedy (President, Visa Inc.)

Dr. Reddy of  Dr. Reddy’s Labs, shared how his simple vision of giving the people of India affordable medicine led him to grow his company to become the largest Pharmaceutical company in India. He also gave two key takeaways on his success for aspiring entrepreneurs: That we have the advantage to make quick decisions and that we always need to stay flexible.

Jasmin Rohman, NetIP Dallas VP of Events, attended one session on “Where are our Women Entrepreneurs and CXO’s?” which gave insight on how women can increase their presence in the entrepreneurial playing field and reach those top CXO positions.  Some keys to decreasing the gender gap were to encourage daughters from an early age that they are capable of anything they dream of and also to just encourage each other with support and mentoring to get a typically “risk-adverse” gender past the tipping point and ready to take the entrepreneurial plunge.

Since the best networking occurs in a social setting, TiECon concluded with a “Rhythm and Passion” themed banquet featuring musical performances from RDB, (Rhythm Dhol Bass) and Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Stars.

NetIP Miami President, Praveen Yalamanchi tweeted throughout the conference and you can find his key takeaways from the various speakers at twitter.com/pravvy

“TiECon 2010 was the first TiE conference I attended.  I was overwhelmed by the sheer passion, energy and optimism at the conference.  The speakers were the best in the industry.  Innovation was the key driver of all entrepreneurs. I am at the brink of launching my company, LinkedNets, a platform that connects organizations and groups with each other with fine grained privacy controls.  The purpose of my attending TiECon was to understand and experience in person what was happening in Silicon Valley in relation to the launch of LinkedNets.   TiECon far exceeded my expectations.  I returned making invaluable contacts and re energized.  It was worth every penny and every second spent in attending the conference. I urge every entrepreneur to attend this one conference every year.”
-Pratima Rao, CEO, LinkedNets, TWINE Chair, Dallas, TX

Our first blog launching the Cancer is Colorblind (“CiC”) campaign simultaneously responds to two questions we’ve heard throughout the course of the last six months while developing and planning our fundraising campaign benefiting pediatric and adult cancer patients at Children’s Memorial Hospital and the Sinai Health System:  What is CiC? and Why NetIP?

Everyone wants to help the kids (i.e. our pediatric cancer patients at Children’s Memorial Hospital) and adults fighting cancer (i.e. our partnership with the Sinai Health System).  But why NetIP?  Is cancer NOT colorblind?  What does cancer have to do with a group of 5,000+ South Asian professionals?  Does cancer uniquely affect South Asians?  Are various types of cancer more prevalent in the South Asian community?

It’s true that researchers compile information about cancer diagnoses and track cases using a number of variables including ethnicity and gender to understand the factors affecting cancer risk and how cancer impacts society.  It’s also true that rates of certain cancers, such as liver and stomach cancer, are relatively higher among Asians than certain other segments of the general population.  (See, e.g., USC Comprehensive Cancer Center, 2006 Cancer Report).  But it’s equally true and voluminous statistical data support the proposition that cancer affects all races, genders, and ages.  (See American Cancer Society, Illinois Cancer Facts & Figures 2008-2009)  Since no subset of the population is immune, the theme and direction of our campaign focuses on the “colorblind” nature of cancer.  It’s also our namesake.

But many potential supporters may still wonder why a group called the Network of Indian Professionals of Chicago (“NetIP Chicago”) would invest significant resources, time, and money launching a six-month campaign dedicated to raising funds for cancer-related programming and research and honoring cancer survivors and fighters. After all, there are numerous “South Asian-specific” charities and causes ranging from Apna Ghar (domestic violence shelter catering to immigrant populations) to Akshaya Patra (meal program for hungry school kids in India) to the Association for India’s Development (movement promoting sustainable and equitable development in India).  And these are just a few South Asian focused community groups starting with the alphabet “A”!

While NetIP Chicago partners with and/or supports each of these noted organizations, we designed the Cancer is Colorblind Campaign, which includes our signature year-end gala, to highlight the new and improved NetIP Chicago.  Our mission entails fostering the development of all segments of the Chicago professional community, who have an interest in South Asian culture.

Cancer is Colorblind provides a unique opportunity to achieve our mission by mobilizing and leveraging the success of the entire Chicago community, while recognizing and supporting the cancer struggle shared by all.  Individual participants are presented with an avenue to make an impact, help save lives, and work with like-minded professionals throughout the course of the CiC Campaign.

Getting involved is easy. Participate and start making an impact today.

On a breezy Wednesday evening (May 12th) at the Cafe Express Breezeway a sizeable group of NetIP Houston members, also known as ”Bookworms”, met to discuss Shilpi Gowda’s debut novel “Secret Daughter”.  The group interestingly enough consisted of both avid book readers and non readers looking for a fresh literary start, which made the discussion fascinating as we had a wide range of questions and opinions.

The gang put their critique hats on and discussed the minutest aspects of the book with zest.  From small gestures of the characters that we either loved or expressed disbelief over, to big sweeping plot changes, we put it all on the table.  Since the book deals with several issues that are relatable to a huge diaspora of the South Asian population in the US, we each talked about at least one personal event similar to ones desribed in the book.  Whether it was getting sick in the stomach while visiting India; the heinous dowry system (some of us did not know it still existed), adoption issues, interracial marriages, traffic in Indian cities or possibly the worst – female infanticide, we each had our own experiences and opinions to share.

We mostly applauded the author on her simplistic writing style, attention to detail, very well organized chapters and her ability to capture human emotions to perfection.  However, where there is praise there will also be criticism… Some felt the story was somewhat “Bollywoodish”, that  a few plot turns were cliché and the potryal of the ideal Gujarati family was unreal.

The crowing glory of the evening was, Shilpi Gowda, the author of the book, who called in to answer questions and have an informal tete-a-tete with us and this phone chat turned out to be quite a treat. We chatted with Shilpi about her upbringing, why and how she became an author, the different aspects and book and thus got to know the person behind the writing talent; a rare and one-of-a-kind event for sure.  We also got an exciting list recomendations for our next book club event, if this were a movie, I’d call it a Box office hit!

For more information on NetIP Houston and their upcoming events please visit www.NetipHouston.org or www.facebook.com/NetIP.Houston.

Edited by Latha Nehru, VP of External Affairs, NetIP North America

www.NetIP.org