Press Coverage: NetSAP Annual Gala - A Classy Affair

NetSAP Annual Gala - A Classy Affair
Ranjani Saigal, Lokvani
11/26/2007

An upscale, elegant night of entertainment, networking, fine dining and dance at the Omni Parker Hotel was a fitting gala to celebrate the accomplishments of NetSAP Boston Chapter which has grown leaps and bounds. “We are proud to announce that NetSAP Boston again has won the best large chapter award. We are proud to have won two years in a row,” said Tushneem Dharmagadda, who is the President of NetSAP Boston.

Professional development, community service, socio-cultural awareness and political awareness are the four pillars of NetSAP and the chapter had worked to improve its work in each one of these areas. The membership of NetSAP Boston has grown to nearly 300 members. “Today we partner with 23 organizations in the New England region, so we are not only bringing professionals together but also the organizations they represent,” said Dharmagadda. Some of the leaders of these organizations including Vineet Nijhawan, Chairman of TIE-Boston and Geeta Ramamurthy, Executive Director were there at the Gala.

The organization has had several themed networking events and they have networked close to 1000 professionals in the Boston area this year through their professional seminars and social networking events. They have also raised more than $3,000 for various causes such as cancer, childrens rights, children's education etc. This is in addition to the 800 hours of labor they provided to local non-profits by taking teams of 20-25 NetSAP members to work on the ground.

At the gala awards were presented to individuals to recognize their contributions. Swarupa Purandare, Shobit Chugh, Renee Sinha, Shiela Rajan, Arindam Chakraborty, Kiran Ganda, Munish Gupta, Usha Govindarajulu, Manoshi Vin, Siddharth Pandit and Pallavi Chabra were given the leadership award. President Tushneem Dharmagadda was recognized for his dedication and hard work which was instrumental in taking NetSAP to the next level.

“NetSAP Boston has come a long way from the time it was founded 10 years ago. NetSAP has been part of my life for the past 10 years and has contributed towards many aspects of my life. I now strive to give back to the organization by volunteering my time as an advisor” said Rajiv Laroia, whose company Laroia Realty was a sponsor at the event.

The national conference for 2008 is going to be hosted in Boston.

Click here to read the original article on Lokvani

Also read our blog article Thank you for making the Annual Gala a Success!

For pictures from the Gala check visit http://www.netsapboston.org/photos

Chai Chat Press Coverage: Are you an ‘American-Born Confused Desi?’

By Reshma Melwani, IndiaNewEngland

	Local South Asian Americans talk at a “Chai Chat” held in downtown Boston.

BOSTON — “Are you an ABCD or a FOB?” asked Manoshi Vin to a crowd gathered on leather sofas and drinking chai on a recent chilly Sunday afternoon.

Thus began the year’s first “Chai Chat,” held at News Café and Lounge in Boston and hosted by the Boston chapter of the Network of South Asian Professionals, a nonprofit organization known for its happy hours, charitable events and social gatherings such as this one.

“Being labeled a FOB [Fresh Off the Boat] or an ABCD [American-Born Confused Desi] is something we’ve all battled at some point in our lives,” explained Vin, the network’s social chair.

As an icebreaker to the social gathering, all attendees took turns stating their names and if they were an American born confused Desi or fresh off the boat.

The diverse group of 40 — made up of well-heeled doctors, researchers, engineers, lawyers and financiers — introduced themselves and chose an affinity, some happily, others hesitantly. Among those South Asians sitting in the crowd was Chai Chat’s guest of honor, Sunil Lala, author of “American Khichdi.”

Click here to continue reading...

More NetSAP Boston Events at www.netsapboston.org/events

2008 Membership Promotion ends on January 31st, 2008

Dear NetSAP Boston Members & Patrons,

NetSAP Boston's membership promotion for 2008 ends on January 31st 2008. A typical member in 2007 received over $300* of benefits for a fee of just $40.

There are numerous benefits and advantages of becoming a member. Moreover, 2008 promises to be a great year, filled with numerous exciting events, including the "17th Annual NetIP Conference" in Boston.

NetSAP Boston Membership also gives you:

• Access to member-only events, preference and discounts at all NetIP events
• Discounted access to events of 23 NetSAP Boston Alliance Partners
• Discounts at Museums, Professional coaching organizations and other vendors
• $5 referral bonus for each new member that you refer to NetSAP Boston

For a comprehensive list visit www.netsapboston.org/join

As a token of our appreciation, we are offering discounted rates for renewing the 2007 membership. An email with a link for discounted purchase was sent out recently. If you are a 2007 member and have not received this email please contact Sanjay Tamhane, Membership Chair at membership@netsapboston.org ASAP.

Please note that Membership prices are scheduled to increase to $50 and $80 for Individual & Couple memberships respectively from January 31st 2008.

If you sign up for membership now, the following promotional rates will apply:

New Members
Individual Membership: $40
Couple Membership: $70
Students: $20
Click here to Sign Up

Existing 2007 Members ('07 members renewing for '08)
Individual Membership: $30
Couple Membership: $55
An email with the Online Renewal Link was sent out recently to 2007 members. We also encourage renewal at our events.

Our referral program still continues. If you are a current member and refer a new member to NetSAP Boston, you will immediately get $5 in referral benefit.
[when you ask your friends to sign up for membership online on our website www.netsapboston.org/join ask them to provide your name in the "Referred By" box and we will send you a referral check for the total number of new members referred by you at the end of every month.]

We hope that you will take advantage of this exciting offer. In addition to supporting a non-profit organization and it's programs, you will also become part of one of the most influential South-Asian communities in New England.

Sincerely,
NetSAP Boston Executive Board

NetIP Annual Member Survey - Participate and Win Prizes

NetIP North America and NetSAP Boston believe in constant improvement and strive to learn from past performances to provide you with the best overall value. Our mission is to make NetIP/NetSAP the premier and most well-respected organizations within the South Asian community, catering to the needs of successful professionals such as yourself. We realize that our enormous value lies in our member base.

In this spirit, NetIP North America conducts a yearly survey to help shape our annual programming. We would highly appreciate if you take a few minutes to share your perspectives and help shape our 2008 initiatives. This information will only be used for the purposes of this survey and will not be shared with any entity outside of NetIP/NetSAP Executive Boards.

As an incentive to those who complete this survey, we are going to raffle off an Ipod and FREE conference registrations for our 2008 17th Annual NetIP Conference in Boston as prizes.

Please click here to Take our Survey


Thank You
NetIP North America & NetSAP Boston 2008 Teams

Chai Chat - ABCD v/s FOBs

Reasons, Consequenses & Justifications for Stereotypes in the South Asian Community

NetSAP Boston invites you to start off the year 2008 by sharing your opinions on stereotypes in the South Asian Community. This month's Chai Chat will address the following issues:

*Have you ever been characterized as an ABCD or FOB?

*Have you ever characterized anyone else?

*How were these terms coined and what do they mean to you?

*What are the ultimate consquences of these stereotypes on our community and on individuals?

Joining the discussion will be Sunil Lala, author of American Khichdi. He will be introducing his new book and sharing his experiences as an Indian American.

Whether you consider yourself a FOB, ABCD or somewhere in the middle, come express yourself over good coffee & snacks, a bit of controversy and enticing conversation!

Click here for more information

Call for Stage Crew for SETU/NetSAP play production

NetSAP-Boston in conjunction with Stage Ensemble Theatre Unit (SETU) is planning to stage a play at the Arlington Center for the Arts in May 2008.

The play is: “Rape, Regret, and Retribution” by a Subrata Das

We have finalized the cast and are still looking for a few more stage crew persons to assist with the production. No prior experience is necessary. The following are sought:

Crew:
-Stage Manager (1)
-Lighting designer (2)
-Music assistant (1)

Approximate dates of practice and frequency: February - May once a week on Sundays at 1 pm

Location of practices: Arlington Center for the Arts, Arlington, MA or member's houses

Dates of production: May 29, 30, and 31

Please send an email to Usha Govindarajulu, NetSAP Theatrics/Cultural Chair at theatrics@netsapboston.org if you are interested and for further information.

For more information about SETU, please visit their website at http://www.setu.us. SETU is an organization in the Greater Boston area that has been staging South Asian plays for 6 years.