Nominations now Open for NetSAP 2008 Executive Board!

NetSAP Boston Annual Elections

Update (November 6th): Nominations are still being accepted for chair positions. If you are interested please send in your letter of intent.

The Network of South Asian Professionals of Boston (NetSAP-Boston) invites dynamic, creative and motivated members to take up leadership positions in the 2008 Executive Board. If you are interested in becoming part of the NetSAP Board, please send in your nomination for a position that suits your interests and talents from the list below. Elections will be held on Saturday, November 17th, 2007 at the NetSAP Annual Holiday Gala. Other Chair positions on the Board will be nominated soon after.

Volunteering on the NetSAP-Boston Board allows you to enhance your resume, expand your professional network in the Greater-Boston area and be recognized in the community for your contributions. Read our blog article "Five Great Reasons to Volunteer for NetSAP-Boston".
If you cannot commit much time but still want to get actively involved with NetSAP-Boston, join our volunteer group. Email Sheila Rajan, Secretary at sheila.rajan@netsapboston.org

To declare your candidacy, submit one-page letter of intent addressed to Rajiv Laroia, Advisor, NetSAP-Boston & Elections Officer at elections2008@netsapboston.org by Sunday, November 4th, 2007.

The letter of intent should address the following and should be limited to less than 500 words.

• Your professional background
• A brief history of your past extra-curricular activities and achievements.
• Why should you be chosen for the position?
  • Your motivation to join or continue on the NetSAP-Boston Executive Board
  • Ideas and Vision that you will bring to NetSAP-Boston and how they can
    contribute to the growth of the organization

Please note that all Executive Board members are required to attend monthly Board meetings. Executive Board members should also be willing to take an active and helpful role in all the activities and events that NetSAP-Boston has to offer.

Position Responsibilities & Duties Avg. Time Commitment The following positions on the 2008 Executive Board are contested President Provide leadership, vision and guidance to the team in all areas.Manage the overall flow of activities and events; 8-10 hours / week Vice President Responsible for creating alliance partner relationships, external communications and building the NetSAP-Boston brand. Coordinate all teams (social, professional, community, cultural, membership and sponsorship). Work hand-in-glove with the President in all these activities 6-8 hours / week Treasurer Oversee and manage finance for NetSAP-Boston, including generating periodical reports. Maintains all financial records. Work hand-in-glove with Sponsorship Chair in building the financial status of NetSAP-Boston 4-6 hours / week Secretary Responsible for, managing internal communications, board meetings and newsletter. Keep an on-going record of all activities and events. Help President and Vice-President coordinate all teams. 4-6 hours / week National Liaison Coordinate communication between NetIP-NA and NetSAP-Boston. Attend all meetings and conference calls and represent NetSAP-Boston in the National organization. Work with respective Chairs and develop initiatives at NetSAP-Boston with National significance. This includes membership incentives and sponsorship opportunities 2-4 hours / week The following positions on the 2008 Executive Board are Nominated by the President Website Director Multiple Openings Maintain, update and develop the NetSAP Boston website; Assist with all web-related NetSAP activities including forums. Requires knowledge of basic HTML and JavaScript. Knowledge of PHP scripting language preferred. 3-5 hours / week Membership / Marketing Chair Multiple Openings Take a proactive role in constantly increasing membership base by devising new strategies; Manage all marketing-related activities for the organization and Alliance partner relationships. 3-5 hours / week Sponsorship Chair Multiple Openings Responsible for securing sponsors for NetSAP-Boston. This key position involves building relationships and securing sponsorships from corporations and other potential local organizations to achieve annual sponsorship goals to support NetSAP-Boston 3-5 hours / week Social / Networking Events Chairs Multiple Openings Develop and manage all social & networking events; Organize all monthly social events; Organize an additional 4 to 6 networking events per year. 3-5 hours / week Professional Development Chairs Multiple Openings Develop and manage all professional development events which include panel discussions, speaker series, and mentoring events; Organize 6 to 8 professional events per year. 3-5 hours / week Cultural/Theatrics Chair Multiple Openings Develop and manage all cultural/theatrics events which include Gala events, celebration of festivals, Chai chats and plays; Organize 3 to 4 cultural events per year. 3-5 hours / week Community Service Events Chair Multiple Openings Develop and manage all community service initiatives which include volunteering events, fund-raising initiatives and social entrepreneurship panels; Organize 3 to 4 community events per year. 3-5 hours / week NetSAP Forum Moderators Multiple Openings Moderate and maintiain User-Forum on the NetSAP website. 3-5 hours / week
	Please Submit your nominations by Sunday, November 4th to elections2008@netsapboston.org
Thank you and we look forward to your declaration of candidacy. If you have questions on any of these positions or need to discuss more, email Tushneem Dharmagadda, President, at tushneem.dharmagadda@netsapboston.org Sincerely, The 2007 Executive Board Network of South Asian Professionals of Boston (NetSAP-Boston)

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

NetSAP-Boston & Princeton Review Partnership for Discounted GMAT Classroom Courses

6th September, 2007, Boston MA: NetSAP-Boston and Princeton Review have established a partnership to offer customized GMAT Classroom Courses at discounted prices for NetIP/NetSAP members.

These courses are customized for Professionals of South Asian / Indian descent focusing on nuances of the verbal section as well as advanced math. Considering the intense competition among people of Indian origin, the program will allow NetSAP members to focus on areas that will enable them to crack the GMAT. The classroom size will also be kept small to allow individual attention to each student.

More importantly, the agreement provides a NetSAP member upto $300 off on any classroom course. NetSAP-Boston encourages members to take advantage of this exclusive deal which gets you the best GMAT Classroom course at the lowest price ever!

Contact Munish Gupta, sponsorship chair at NetSAP-Boston at sponsorship@netsapboston.org or Kyle J Matis, Director of Marketing, Princeton Review at KyleM@review.com (617 558 2828) for more information.

Course information for October 2007 is up on the NetSAP website.

Visit our table at the World MBA Tour in Boston on September 20th to find out more about how NetSAP-Boston can help you with pursuing top MBA Programs

NetSAP-Boston does it Again - Wins NetIP's Best Large Chapter Award for 2007

Dear Member & Patrons,

Thanks to your unconditional support towards the organization, the tons of new initiatives, and exciting events in our Chapter, we were able to win the NetIP's Best Large Chapter Award for 2007. This is the second consecutive year that NetSAP-Boston has won this award.

Considering that we had to compete with 22 other NetIP chapters in the US & Canada to win this award it is no ordinary feat. This obviously could not have possible without the extra-ordinary efforts of the many NetSAP board members and volunteers who worked very hard this year. Kudos to each of them for making this happen.

We are also excited to announce that the venue for the 17th Annual NetIP National Conference in 2008 will be the home of NetSAP-Boston, Boston. More details on this will follow soon.

As always we are looking for motivated volunteers to help us out. Read more about benefits of volunteering and feel free to contact us for more information.

Here are some pictures from the NetIP National Conference in Miami. More will be posted on our website soon

Five Great Reasons to Volunteer for NetSAP-Boston

We are always looking for motivated and driven people to volunteer for NetSAP-Boston... Join us at our Board meetings, typically held on the first Tuesday of every month and learn about different volunteering opportunities on the Executive Board as well as the volunteer group. Contact Sheila Rajan at Sheila.Rajan@netsapboston.org for more information.

Note: Next board meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, 2nd October at the Brookline library. If you are interested in attending contact Sheila ASAP.

Here are Five great reasons to Volunteer for NetSAP-Boston:

5. Follow and promote your passion by organizing initiatives which get like-minded people together. Be it Socio-cultural events, Professional, Community service, Politics, Theatrics or others... NetSAP-Boston encourages them all

4. Enhance your skill-set and resume through extra-curricular activities. Develop leadership, management, interpersonal, and communication skills. Use them in your regular jobs or for pursuing management degrees

3. Get access and connections to a network of top leaders from various fields

2. Be part of a growing and influential non-profit organization... get known and recognized for your work in the community

1. Give back to the Community, Build a close-knit social network of great friends and Have fun

NetSAP-Boston Executive Board and Volunteers

NetSAP-Boston Raffle Winners at IAGB India Day

We would like to thank all those who visited our table at IAGB India Day. We are glad to annouce the winners of the raffle held by NetSAP-Boston on the day...

NetSAP-Boston 2007 Membership Winners
Arumugam Murugawamdam
Vivek Shah

NetSAP-Boston Sunset Cruise Winners
Ajit Dash
Jay Desai
Vishal Gupta

Congrats to our winners. Pictures from IAGB India Day are up on our website. If you have any questions or comments do not hesitate to contact us at board@netsapboston.org

Getting into Top MBA Programs - Panel Discussion Follow-up & Thank you note

NetSAP Boston would like to thank everyone that attended our MBA Panel Discussion last week. We hope the session and accomplished panelists were helpful in answering all your questions. You can continue the discussion with the panelists and your peers through our forums at www.netsapboston.org/forums.

The pictures from the event are up on our website at www.netsapboston.org/photos . If you'd like to share your feedback and suggestions on topics for future professional seminars with us, contact our Professional chairs, Swarupa or Kiran at professional@netsapboston.org.
Don't forget to take advantage of Princeton Review's special discount on GMAT classes to NetSAP members!

A message from Princeton Review, our event sponsor:

Hello NetSAP-Boston Members!

I want to extend a personal thank you for attending The Princeton Review/NetSAP-Boston MBA Information Session. We hope you found this session enjoyable and enlightening!

The importance of a solid GMAT score was discussed at length during last week’s session. In order to help you ensure that your GMAT score is as high as it can be, The Princeton Review would like to extend a $100 discount to all NetSAP-Boston members off ANY GMAT Classroom Course!!!

Additionally...

The Princeton Review would like to extend a $150 discount off these two upcoming classes!!!

GMAT course: Downtown / Back Bay / Copley Square

Where: 20 Park Plaza Suite 1201 Boston, MA

Course Code: 070900122

When: Jul 28th - Sept 22nd 2007 (Every Saturday, 10:00am - 1:00pm)

Special Starting Class for NetSAP Members: Sat Aug 11th

GMAT course: Harvard Square

Where: 16 Garden Street Cambridge, MA

Course Code: 070900124

When: Aug 1st - Sept 19th 2007 (Every Wednesday, 6:30pm - 9:30pm)

Please contact Kyle J Matis at KyleM@review.com for more information. To reserve your spot in a classroom course, call 617 558 2828 or visit PrincetonReview.com.

Kyle J. Matis

Director of Marketing

The Princeton Review

Tell us how we are doing & help us improve

We are half way into 2007 and its time we evaluate our performance as an organization so far. The NetSAP-Boston team worked very hard this year to bring you many exciting and high-quality events and provide you with more value for your membership not only at our events but also at our alliance partner events. As a community we have been trying our best to build a socially responsible network of highly talented South Asian-American professionals and entrepreneurs.

We now seek your help to improve and grow our organization further. We created a 30 second survey where you can answer a few questions to provide feedback and let us know what your thoughts are...

More importantly, your feedback will bolster our case to become NetIP-NA's Best Large Chapter again for the year 2007.

Click here to take our survey

Thank you for your support!
NetSAP-Boston Team.

NetSAP & Small World Big Sky's "Indian Ink" gets rave reviews from Press!

(click on links below to read different articles)

Piecing together a mystery in India ... Krohn's producing partner is NetSAP-Boston, an organization of South Asian professionals that is highly active, Krohn says: "They have a theater component, they do community service, run events , and have workshops on all kinds of things."
- Boston Globe

'Indian Ink' is a muddied exploration of identity
- Boston Globe

NetSAP brings ‘Indian Ink’ to Boston in theater effort... Play set in colonial times, resonates with immigrants
- India New England

NetSAP and Small World Big Sky bring a worthwhile production to Boston, especially since South Asian theatre, unlike cinema and literature, is so rare a medium here and far less patronized. This is the third year NetSAP Theatrics brings a play to Boston, and it is also commendable of Small World Big Sky to take on a play with such a strong South Asian theme.
- Lokvani

Pictures from the Play Indian Ink:
(click on thumbnails to view albums)

Tom Stoppard's Play - Indian Ink

Indian Ink After-Party/Happy Hour at MASA

NetSAP-Boston Press Release:
On June 23 at 8 pm in the Plaza Theatre located in heart of Boston's South End, NetSAP-Boston hosted one of the nights of production of Indian Ink in conjuction with Small World Big Sky Productions, providing discounted prices to members and non-members. The show was a success, as it had been other nights of production. The audience was impressed by the actors and organized production sets. The play centered around the main character, Flora Crewe, played by Janelle Mills, and provided an interesting insight into an independent and thought-provoking British woman living in India during the 1930s. The characters revolving around her life provided entertainment and pause for thought at the life of Flora Crewe. Especially of curiosity was her relationship with Nirad Das, played by Bharat Bhushan, friend or lover?

The cast are to be commended for their endurance through many days and nights of performance. The stage crew put on a professional setup for the play. The production company, Small World Big Sky (SWBS), under the leadership of Sarah Krohn (director and producer) is a small organization trying to expand and grow and are certainly learning about the difficulties of putting such a production together and coordinating assignments through production and direction. However, they have managed to pull off a succesful production. Netsap-Boston assisted SWBS in the production aspects via Usha Govindarajulu as as Associate Producer.

Netsap-Boston was pleased to partake in one of these nights and to promote South Asian culture through this medium. Members of Netsap-Boston and TiE were part of the audience and added to the diversity enhanced through the play. The audience had a chance to interact with the cast/crew after the play at Masa Restaurant, a few steps from the theatre. Netsap-Boston appreciates the success of Indian Ink and hopes to promote future productions which incorporate South Asian participation and culture.

Sincerely,

Usha Govindarajulu
Theatrics Chair of NetSAP-Boston

The Human Face of NetSAP Boston

With the plethora of social organizations and happy hours booming around the Boston area, it is time to reevaluate impacts that NetSAP Boston has tried to make on local and global footings.

While the recent happy hour at Caprice helped to raise $500 for CRY America (www.america.cry.org) , NetSAP Boston has also strived to help local non profits by organizing community events. This was the second happy hour this year that NetSAP Boston has decided to funnel the proceeds to an organization that works in India. While the January happy hour raised $600 for Sahayta, the May happy hour will help to transform the lives of 20 children by ensuring they get education and health care for a year.

Says Shefali Sunderlal, the President of CRY America, "The NetSAP community in Boston has shown itself to be a concerned citizens group. By contributing to CRY America, NetSAP members have portrayed their concerns for the children in India, who suffer silently amongst India's economic development. This fundraiser, besides raising funds, has proved that NetSAP is ready to stand and fight for the rights of the children. Kudos to the NetSAP Boston leadership".

On the local level NetSAP Boston continued its relationship with the Long Island Shelter Organic Farm and made new relationships with the Drumlin Farms. Taking teams of around 20 people, NetSAP Boston assisted in clearing farm lands, walking trails, planting seeds as well as sorting organic food that will serve the homeless in Boston and let the local community enjoy the nature trails. At the Holi celebrations earlier this year at Dakshin, NetSAP helped raise the awareness for the need of bone marrow donations among South Asians with SAMAR. The May happy hour at Caprice also hosted Team AID-Asha marathon runners who interacted with the NetSAP community and registered new participants for their annual marathon. The NetSAP board is firmly committed to fostering amongst its members, a sense of contributing in the local community as well as engaging and acting on issues of global significance. This year's community events are a testament to that commitment.

With similar happy hours intended for other alliance partners like Avsar, India Schoolhouse Fund, Clinton Health Aids Initiative and Vibha, as well as local volunteering events at Community Servings and Greater Boston Food Bank, NetSAP Boston is creating value for its members to be leaders in the community. By organizing social discussion panels, it is also striving to open the process of dialogue to everyone.

We hope our members continue to support our mission in professional development, culture and arts, community and political participation and thus foster a strong sense of South Asian and American values.

About Network of South Asian Professionals of Boston
Founded in 1995, the Network of South Asian Professionals of Boston (NetSAP-Boston) is a professional, 501c(6) not-for-profit organization dedicated to serving the professional, political, cultural and civic needs of the South Asian community in the Greater Boston area. We seek to unite South Asian professionals, nurture leadership, and build partnerships in the New England area through professional programs, networking events, and community service efforts. For more information visit www.netsapboston.org

Press Release: Small World Big Sky in association with NetSAP presents Boston Premier of Tom Stoppard’s Play "Indian Ink" - June 15th-July 1st, 2007

18th May, 2007, Boston MA: Small World Big Sky Productions in association with NetSAP-Boston will present the Boston premiere of Tom Stoppard’s full-length play Indian Ink, a beautifully written but largely unknown work. Directed and produced by Sarah Krohn and featuring a cast of 13, the production previews June 15, opens June 16, and runs through July 1st in the Plaza Theatre at the Boston Center for the Arts, 539 Tremont Street, Boston, MA 02116. The production is sponsored in part by the Boston chapter of NetIP (Network of Indian Professionals), NetSAP-Boston (The Network of South Asian Professionals of Boston). NetSAP-Boston will have a special showing of the play on Saturday, June 23^rd at 8:00pm for its members and patrons.

Following on the past successes with Bend it Like Auntie and Netsap Comedy Mela, NetSAP-Boston partners with Small World Big Sky, a Boston-based theatre company founded in 2005 by Sarah Krohn to bring this play to the South Asian community in Boston. Sarah Krohn’s directing credits include Hamlet for New Rep on Tour as well as Small World Big Sky’s productions of The Illusion and A Doll’s House.

Indian Ink is set in 1930 during India’s struggle for independence. The play chronicles the brief but transformative encounter between Flora Crewe, a rebellious English poet and Nirad Das, a charming Indian painter who Flora meets while traveling through Jummapur. Flora and Nirad develop an intimacy as Das paints Flora at work on her poems. Fifty years later, Flora’s younger sister Eleanor Swan, Nirad’s son, Anish, and Eldon Pike, an American professor writing about Flora attempt to piece together the truth about that brief encounter in 1930 through letters and artifacts. The orbiting characters and story lines begin to converge around a single question: did Flora and Nirad have an affair?

In typical fashion, Stoppard constructs a thought-provoking and highly entertaining drama that examines complicated questions of art, history, and identity.

Dates and Times: June 15th-July 1st: Thu 7:30 pm, Fri-Sat 8:00 pm and Sun 3:00 pm

NetSAP-Boston Exclusive Show: 8:00pm, Saturday, June 23rd

Price :
$24 adults, $22 seniors, $15 students, NetSAP Members $20 (10% off)
Friday, June 15 preview is pay-what-you-can, minimum $5.
Saturday, June 23rd Exclusive NetSAP show: Members $15, Non-Members $20

More Information: www.netsapboston.org/events

Cast:
Flora Crewe Janelle Mills, Nirad Das Bharat Bhushan, Eleanor Swan Jean Sheikh, Anish Das Anurag Mishra, Eldon Pike Chuck Schwager, Dilip Sudarshan Belsare, David Durance Andrew Winson, Rajah Irfan Malik, Coomaraswami Avinash Padhye, Nell Meredith Stypinski, Eric Swan Neil Hayward, Nazrul Arun Ravindran, The Resident Anthony Dangerfield

Contact: Usha Govindarajulu, Associate Producer at theatrics@netsapboston.org

About Boston Center for the Arts
Boston Center for the Arts (BCA) is an urban cultural village, incubating and showcasing the performing and visual arts and artists of our time. Occupying a city block in Boston’s historic South End, the BCA provides a creative “home” for artists, a welcoming destination for audiences, and an arts connection for youth and community. For more information, visit www.bcaonline.org

About Network of South Asian Professionals of Boston
Founded in 1995, the Network of South Asian Professionals of Boston (NetSAP-Boston) is a professional, 501c(6) not-for-profit organization dedicated to serving the professional, political, cultural and civic needs of the South Asian community in the Greater Boston area. We seek to unite South Asian professionals, nurture leadership, and build partnerships in the New England area through professional programs, networking events, and community service efforts. For more information visit www.netsapboston.org

Member Benefits, Social Networking Groups & New Alliances

While spring is setting in bringing warm and nice weather, the NetSAP team has been trying to come up with new ways to provide incentives to our members, creating groups on social networking sites to enable more interaction between members outside of NetSAP events and establishing partnerships with new organizations in order to bring a wide array of events to you.

So far the year has progressed well. Although we have received a lot of positive feedback from our members, there is much scope for improvement and we are always looking forward to new ideas and feedback from you. Meanwhile, as we continue to work, I wanted to take time to update you on what we have achieved on different fronts so far...

Member Benefits at NetSAP & Alliance partner events

Take advantage of heavy discounts at NetSAP events and events organized by our alliance partners.

Our new alliance partner MIT Sloan Alumni Club of Boston is organizing the MIT Sloan CIO Symposium on May 17th. Get an exclusive discount of approx 20% when you register for this event. If you cannot spend a day at this conference, attend the NetSAP seminar on Launching Successful Businesses the same night for a discounted fee of $5.


Our alliance partner TiE-Boston is organizing TiECON East, one of the largest entrepreneurial innovation conferences' from June 14th - June 15th. Register for this conference at a special discounted price (Discount code will be emailed to NetSAP members)

We have established a new partnership with the Peabody Essex Museum. Get a discount of 15% on the ticketed entrance price at the museum.

Every NetSAP member will also be getting a complimentary 2-year subscription to Indus Business Journal, a prominent fortnightly business newspaper that provides exclusive business, franchise and healthcare news and insights.

Check for more alliance partner events on our forum which provide special discounts to NetSAP Members. We are also working on issuing membership cards to new members as soon as possible. If you do not have your membership card please email us and we can send a verification note to the alliance partner organization whose event you want to attend.

Needless to say, members always get priority and discounts at NetSAP events. We are committed to making your NetSAP membership worthwhile, so, watch out for more incentives in future.

NetSAP-Boston Group on LinkedIn, Friendster & Orkut

Our group on LinkedIn was launched on May 4th and is exclusively for NetSAP members. Some of you may have already received an invite from us to join the group. If you have not received an invite yet, you will be getting one soon. Use this group to not only network with other NetSAP members but also to network with speakers, mentors and panelists from our events. Explore career opportunities and build relationships that will help you grow in your profession.

Our group on Friendster has been around for sometime. If you are on friendster, go to groups and search for "NetSAP-Boston". Look for the group with the image shown on the left and join our group.

Our group on Orkut was launched recently. So if you are on orkut, click on this link to access the NetSAP-Boston Orkut group. Use Friendster and Orkut to build your social network.

If you are not a member yet, I encourage you to sign up soon so that you can start taking advantage of all these incentives and more...

Creating Wealth Through Real Estate

The real estate market continues to be a hot topic of discussion at holiday parties and continues to be written about frequently in the media. During the boom years ending in July 2005, housing equity rose by $4 trillion. This gain was tremendous, but was even more "remarkable when compared to stock market wealth accumulation, which was essentially flat over the same comparable period."

The market has softened since its peak in 2005 but does this mean that we can expect a market crash. Well... maybe not! The fundamentals of the state (MA) remain strong and more importantly this is not the early to mid 1990s or the early 1980's or the mid 1970's when prices dropped because of recession and high unemployment.

"A recent detailed study of 379 US metropolitan markets by a well-regarded Pennsylvania consulting firm, Moody's Economy.com, says that while home prices are falling nationally, the worst may be over for Boston area homeowners. Prices may not rise any time soon, the study said, but they are probably NOT going to fall much further." However, Predictions are always tricky!

As long as households keep on spending, the economy should be able to withstand the blow from the housing correction.

Key Points and Outlook:

• Buyers on the Move Again: This is the best time in recent years to be a buyer. Pent-up buyer demand seems to be loosening, as the market appears to be stabilizing, and more are making lifestyle purchases and taking advantage of lower prices and better inventory before the spring market is in place. Even the Globe has been announcing the bottom of the market for the past 2 months.
• A Wide Variety of Homes to choose from: Inventory is still healthy, but beginning to drop as buyers are no longer waiting to time the market.
• Mortgage Rates remain Low: Mortgage rates are still historically low, inventory is healthy, and most sellers are setting reasonable prices based on this market rather than the unusual spiking prices of the past five years.
• Market at or near Bottom: Real estate market is experiencing a healthy price correction and return to a “normal” long-term appreciation rate. The New England Economic Partnership, a nonprofit research firm, is forecasting that home prices in Massachusetts will decline about 5 percent through the year.
• Still a Great Investment: Real estate continues to be a great long-term investment. Prices are expected to appreciate an average of 15-17% between 2007 and 2015.
• Location Location Location is still the Rule: This means that some towns will experience higher appreciation rates while others a bit lower.
• Rents are Rising: As for the rental market, industry watchers are expecting to see rents inch up. Continued job growth in Massachusetts and nationally, as well as low inflation, should bode well for apartment demand.
• Come Spring and More competition for Good Properties: 2007 is expected to mirror 2006, resulting in another historically strong year, although below the market sales and price spikes of recent years (according to National Association of REALTORS®).

To learn more about the real estate market and related investment opportunities join the discussion on this topic at the Holiday Inn, Brookline, on Thursday, April 26th. See NetSAP-Boston's website for more details.

NetSAP Dinner Circle - Peer networking and Mentoring

NetSAP Boston is starting a new event called "Dinner Circle," a concept inspired by our DC chapter and improvised by us to promote peer networking as well as mentoring with an experienced professional in a field of your choice. To make this event better suited to your needs and expectations, we have a prepared 30 second survey for you here. Details of this concept are mentioned below. However, if you have more questions, suggestions or feedback feel free to contact Shobhit Chugh, Social chair or Aman Patel, Professional chair at dcircle@netsapboston.org

Update: Check out pictures from our August Dinner Circle

Dinner Circle Details:
Have you been searching for the opportunity to meet and get to know other South Asian professionals in the Boston area? Are you the type that prefers small dinners with friends over raucous nights out at clubs? Do you want to know more about different career fields, and didn't know who to ask?

Well, then come participate in the Dinner Circle. These small group dinners are designed to provide comfortable, intimate settings where young professionals with similar interests can have meaningful conversations and expand their social and professional relationships. In addition, they present an opportunity to meet an experienced professional from the industry of your choice, who can guide you, and answer your questions.

Here's how it works: Please click on the survey link if you are interested in this event and answer a few questions that will help us learn more about you and the careers you intend to know more about. (This may not necessarily be linked to your current profession. For ex. an attendee who is a management consultant might want to know more about Journalism or Non-profit organizations)

We will send another survey which participants interested in attending a particular dinner circle event can take and provide us with more details about themselves. Additionally, you can choose the mentor whose table you prefer to be at. Also choose your entrees (list will be provided) and prepay for the meal (NetSAP will negotiate group discounts with restaurants).

Once we have a list of all interested participants, we'll divide you up into groups of 5-7 based on the information you provide, and assign a mentor for your group based on your preferences (first come first serve). You will then be sent a confirmation email with details of your group and mentor. Show up at the dinner, ready to be social, learn more and enjoy a meal! Please feel free to mingle with the rest of the groups at the bar after the meal.

Our commitment: We'll do our best to maximize the potential of the evening by thoughtfully matching participants with others of similar age, interests, and career stage, and providing a suitable mentor. We'll also try to pick easily accessible, moderately priced restaurants that make the evening more enjoyable.

Your commitment: Firstly, We ask that you prepay for the dinner when your group has been assigned, and show up to your assigned restaurant on time (that's Eastern Standard Time, not Indian Standard Time!). Secondly, we ask that you prepare a list of questions you might like to ask your mentor, and participate fully in the discussions!

Career Management and Strategies for Success

Well, the Professional chairs at NetSAP, Swarupa and Kiran spent quite some time early this year brainstorming about different topics that we can focus on at our professional seminars. And as we started planning our first seminar on Managing your Career, I began delving deeper into this topic myself. Career management has become very complex today. It is not just about performing well in your current jobs but the many factors that influence and determine how you do at work that make it more confusing and perhaps interesting. Undoubtedly, it is important to be good at what you do and gain new technical skills that will give you an edge over your peers. However, performing well in the tasks assigned to you and doing better than your co-workers is not all. The flat world (multi-site) and large cross-functional teams have totally changed the dynamics of career growth today. People skills, power and influence play as much importance as your technical skills and expertise. More importantly, you need to sell yourself and build your network so that you get noticed, get promoted or get that new job you like. As the old adage goes "It is not just what you know, it is who you know and what they know about you."

Our Speaker Kathleen Cashman who is a renowned management coach will be discussing these issues and more in our seminar on Tuesday March 20th. Meanwhile, here are some articles that you may find interesting...

25 Hot Tips For Managing Your Career

Being an Interim Boss Can Broaden Skills, Enrich a Career

Job Hopping Abroad Can Enhance A Career, But It Takes Fortitude

==
Tushneem.

Press Release: NetSAP Chai Chat provides a forum for South Asians to express themselves

March 12, 2007, Brookline, MA. NetSAP-Boston organized Chai Chat on 11th March at Expresso Royale in Brookline. The event which received more than anticipated response was attended by over 35 professionals. Chai Chat is a unique concept where people get together on a sunday afternoon for "Chai" (Tea in India) and have informal discussions on topics that are affecting or playing a critical role in the lives of South Asians, predominantly Indians. The event which was started by NetSAP-Boston in 2004 was revived again this year due to popular demand. It provided a forum (first of its sort in the Boston area) where NetSAP members and non-members can network as well as have intellectually stimulating conversation by talking about their experiences and views in a non-intimidated setting.

The topic of this first Chai Chat was "Arranged Marriages v/s Love Marriages - Building relationships in the Cyber Age". Participants discussed the pros and cons of arranged and love marriages, dating in the south asian community, social stigmas and the role of society (the culture and environment we grow up in) in relationships. It was also interesting to note that many professionals today give more importance to values, interests and compatibility rather than culture, race or religion. Thoughts and opinions on the role of career and professional pursuits viz. intense stress to do well and grow in one's career, pressure to achieve professional goals, and lack of time to get involved in a relationship or its effects on existing relationships were exchanged among the attendees. Although online marriage and dating websites have provided busy professionals with the tools necessary to explore relationships at their convenience and have combined the benefits of dating (i.e getting to know the person) within traditional (cultural) bounds, they do come with their own disadvantages. Issues such as these and more were explored at the Chai Chat.

"The Chai Chat was a forum which allowed people to voice their opinions openly. It was interesting to hear the varying opinions regarding dating and marriage and all the issues that come with them as South Asians" said Renee Sinha, Marketing chair, NetSAP-Boston. Manoshi Vin, Socio-Cultural chair at NetSAP Boston who organized this event added.."It was so good to see such a good turn out for our first chai chat. It was good coffee , great company and a insightful discussion about an issue that affects us all!"

Overall, many views from different generations as well as different experiences were shared. NetSAP-Boston plans to organize Chai Chat every other month complementing it with Dinner Circle events in the months inbetween. More information about Dinner Circle and pictures from Chai Chat will be posted on the NetSAP-Boston website soon. If you have suggestions on topics for future chai chats which can vary from issues affecting south asians today to book or movie reviews email Manoshi Vin at cultural@netsapboston.org. Members and non-members can continue to discuss these issues on the NetSAP forum at www.netsapboston.org/forums.

About NetSAP-Boston:
Founded in 1995, the Network of South Asian Professionals of Boston (NetSAP-Boston) is a professional, 501c(6) not-for-profit organization dedicated to serving the professional, political, cultural and civic needs of the South Asian community in the Greater Boston area. We seek to unite South Asian professionals, nurture leadership, and build partnerships in the New England area through professional programs, networking events, and community service efforts. NetSAP-Boston is part of NetIP-NA, The Network of Indian Professionals, North America. For more information on events, membership and other initiatives, visit www.netsapboston.org. To learn more about NetIP North America and other chapters in other cities, visit www.netip.org.

March Membership Mania!!

Hello NetSAP Boston Members & Patrons,

After lot of thought regarding membership, the NetSAP Boston team wanted to provide value to both our existing members, as well as, the new and potential members. We decided to have all our events in March for free.

We also decided to add a new referral program. If you are a current member and refer a new member at our event, you will immediately get $5 in referral benefit. In addition, when you ask your friends to sign up for membership online on our website www.netsapboston.org/signup 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.

I hope that you will take advantage of these exciting offers. In addition to supporting a non-profit organization and it's programs, you will also become part of one of the biggest South-Asian communities in New England.

Thanks,

Renee Sinha
NetSAP Marketing & Membership Chair
membership@netsapboston.org

Sign Up as a NetSAP Member Today and get the following Benefits

1. All events in March worth $50 for FREE
Events include:
Managing Your Career - Professional Development Event
Rang De Holi - Festival of Colors - Cultural Event
Happy Hour - Social Event
Chai Chat - Social Event

2. Refer a New Member to NetSAP-Boston and receive $5 in referral benefit

3. Receive discounts worth more $200 at NetSAP events throughout the year

4. Discounted access to 15+ NetSAP-Boston Alliance Partners

Other promotions:

- 2 email subscribers get Free membership annually
- 2 people who sign up for our newsletter* at an event get the next Happy Hour Free
- 1 member from an event may get Free entry to the next NetSAP event**
- 1 participant from NetSAP's community service event gets Free entry to a NetSAP social event**

* Winners selected at random from the list of subscribers at that event
** Events are chosen at the discretion of NetSAP-Boston

For a comprehensive list of past and current events, go to www.netsapboston.org

NetSAP and Sahayta thank you for your contributions

NetSAP-Boston(Network of South Asian Professionals) organized a Happy Hour at Met Lounge, Tonic, a trendy bar in Allston, MA on Jan 18th to raise funds for Sahayta, an alliance partner and a non-profit organization based in India, whose mission is to provide holistic (financial, emotional and social) support to people afflicted with cancer. Over 80 people turned up on the cold night to network and start the new year by supporting a cause.

NetSAP raised over $600 through contributions from all attendees. All the proceeds were donated to Sahayta. NetSAP-Boston and Sahayta convey their gratitude to all those who contributed at the event. These funds will be used by Sahayta to provide financial support to underprivileged cancer patients and their families. Besides sponsoring a patient's chemotherapy treatment the money will also fund the education of their children. You can view video testimonials of sponsored patients/doctors on Sahayta's website http://www.sahayta.org .

More pictures from the event will be posted on the NetSAP-Boston website. Also look forward to seeing more Happy Hours in 2007 associated with a cause or a theme. Again, we thank you for making the first happy hour successful. We look forward to seeing you at a future NETSAP event.

President's Message: NetSAP's Vision for 2007

Greetings fellow NetSAP-Boston Members and Patrons!

On behalf of the 2007 Executive Board of the Network of South Asian Professionals, Boston Chapter, I'd like to wish you and your family best wishes for health and happiness in the New Year. After the overwhelming success of our programming activities from 2006, we enter 2007 with exciting opportunities and increased expectations from you. I’d like to take this opportunity to highlight our success in the past year and outline our vision for 2007.

Over the last two years NetSAP-Boston has grown tremendously. This growth is attributed to several factors, most significantly your unconditional support and patronage for the organization. Last year we raised the quality of our events by hosting them at elegant venues, streamlining registrations through online signup, and collaborating with other organizations to bring events of wide variety. Our events ranged from the popular monthly networking mixers (Happy Hours) and social galas, to professional development events, to theatrics and cultural events, and last but not the least community awareness and volunteering opportunities. Through all these initiatives we fostered and built lasting relationships between people from different backgrounds.

We started 2007 on a great note. Thanks to your generous contributions, we raised over $600 for cancer patients at our first Happy Hour hosted at Met Lounge, Tonic. Most of our monthly Happy Hours in 07 will have a theme or a cause associated with them. Look forward to exciting cultural events such as Holi in March, one-on-one networking events such as wine n greet, harbor cruise in summer, theatric workshops and plays, and community volunteering opportunities. Additionally, NetSAP professional chairs are planning new seminars for career development and mentoring. You will also probably see several bi-monthly socio-cultural get-togethers for book reviews, movie reviews and discussions on current affairs.

In our efforts to raise the quality of our events and provide you with the best experience, we will face significant increase in our expenses. However, we are in the process of seeking sponsorships to offset this expense which will result in lower registration fees and heavy discounts for our members. Therefore, I encourage you to sign up for membership and assure you that we will strive to provide lasting value for the cost. Through your annual NetSAP/NetIP membership, you will also enjoy a wide range of benefits and discounts at events organized by over fifteen of our alliance partner organizations in the greater Boston area.

My team is very excited, motivated and is working towards finalizing the list of events for 2007. While we are in that process, we will try our best to keep you informed through our website and blog. We also welcome your ideas and constructive feedback so that we can improve NetSAP and serve you better. As you know, we are an organization built by a team of passionate volunteers who dedicate their time, energy and patience to achieve our vision. I invite our members and patrons to play an active role in our organization. If you are interested in making a difference in our community and honing your leadership skills, join our board or volunteer for events of your interest. Please feel free to contact me or other Board members with any questions or suggestions you may have.

As a duly registered non-profit organization in the State of Massachusetts, we would like to continue our mission of reaching out to the South Asian community and empowering as many individuals as possible in the New England region.

My team and I look forward to seeing you at a future NetSAP event in the greater Boston Area!

Sincerely,
Tushneem Dharmagadda
President, NetSAP-Boston

NETWORK OF SOUTH ASIAN PROFESSIONALS (NetSAP-Boston) PICKS NEW LEADERS

December 15th, 2006, Boston, MA - The Boston Chapter of the Network of South Asian Professionals (NetSAP-Boston) held its annual holiday gala celebration and Executive Board Election at News Restaurant and Lounge in the heart of Boston's Downtown on Saturday, December 9th. The event featuring a delicious Indian buffet catered by Dakshin restaurant, music by DJ Bombay and an awards ceremony was attended by over 115 people including NetSAP-Boston's alliance partner representatives, speakers from their past events and sponsors. The response to the event was so overwhelming that quite a few people had to be turned away at the door since the tickets were sold-out.

As people decked up in their best formals and Indian ethnic wear mingled and networked with each other while having dinner, DJ Bombay entertained them with some lively lounge music. A presentation on the television screens in the restaurant showcased a variety of popular NetSAP events from 2006. Later in the evening, NetSAP-Boston surprised their 2006 board members by announcing leadership awards to recognize their contribution to the organization. Raj Melville, Special Interest Groups Chair from TiE-Boston and Ranjani Sehgal, Co-founder of Lokvani gave away the tokens of appreciation. Speaking at the event, Raj Melville said "NetSAP-Boston and TiE-Boston have had a great year in 2006 where we collaborated on several events. I hope we can build on that relationship and collaborate on many more initiatives in 2007."

The new Executive Board is looking forward to continuing the traditions and chapter legacy of NetSAP-Boston as one of the premier professional networking organizations in the New England area. Consisting of many Board members from the past albeit in different roles the election brings a combination of experienced and new officers to the organization's Executive Board.

The group's 2007 officers include: Tushneem Dharmagadda, President; Pallavi Chhabra, Vice President; Vijay Daryanani, Treasurer; Sheila Rajan, Secretary; Sundip Arora, National Liaison; Renee Sinha, Membership Chair; Niranjan Bose, Avni Jhaveri and Aarti Sood as Social Chairs; Kiran Ganda and Swarupa Purandare as Professional Chairs; Manoshi Vin and Usha Govindarajulu as Cultural/Theatrics Chairs; Siddharth Pandit, Community Service Chair; and Vignesh Kuppusamy, Website Director.

Outgoing President Kas Sharma said, "Serving NetSAP-Boston for the last 5 years in various capacities has been a great experience. In the last two years NetSAP-Boston has taken long strides to grow at an amazing pace. We intoduced several unique events catering to Theater, Cultural Awareness, Social and Professional Networking. I wish the new team luck in carrying this forward and building the organization further." Kas will continue to serve as an Advisor to the Executive Board throughout 2007.

Incoming President, Tushneem Dharmagadda who most recently served as the Advisor of NetSAP remarked "I am excited to lead NetSAP in 2007. It is challenging because we need to perform much better and live up to the high expectations of our members and patrons that we set in the prior years. We have established strong partnerships with many organizations in the Boston area including The Indus Entrepreneurs - Boston, our platinum sponsor. By leveraging the strengths of each other, we have taken advantage of the synergy to create events that appeal to a wider audience. My goal next year is to develop these relationships further and build the NetSAP-Boston Brand." Pallavi Chhabra, Vice President, added "The objective of our annual holiday gala was to gather all the NetSAP members together for a night of food, music and fun and to give a taste of the organization to new members. It marked the end of a successful year for NetSAP-Boston and signifies the beginning of a great year ahead. We were also honored to have some special guests present with us on this special occasion."

Holiday Gala set the trend for a successful year ahead for NetSAP-Boston. Number of people signed up for NetIP membership taking advantage of the discounted pricing at the event. The party and socializing continued till late in the night. For more pictures from the event which will be posted soon, visit the NetSAP-Boston website. Promotions for 2007 membership are open till December 20th 2006. Members and patrons are encouraged to send their feedback on the event and enquiries on voluntering opportunities to the NetSAP Board at board@netsapboston.org.

About NetSAP-Boston:Founded in 1995, the Network of South Asian Professionals of Boston (NetSAP-Boston) is a professional, 501c(3) not-for-profit organization dedicated to serving the professional, political, cultural and civic needs of the South Asian community in the Greater Boston area. We seek to unite South Asian professionals, nurture leadership, and build partnerships in the New England area through professional programs, networking events, and community service efforts. NetSAP-Boston is part of NetIP-NA, The Network of Indian Professionals, North America. For more information on events, membership and other initiatives, visit http://www.netsapboston.org/. To learn more about NetIP North America and other chapters in other cities, visit http://www.netip.org/.