The Network of South Asian Women (NetSAW) now in its fourth year, held its signature “Chat and Chai” event, an informal conversation with a woman of influence, at Bollywood Grill in Shrewsbury this past Sunday.

The Spring NetSAW’s Chat and Chai speaker was Geeta Aiyer, President and Founder of Boston Common Asset Management. Geeta runs an investment company managing over 2.1 billion in assets and places greater emphasis on sustainable investment. In addition to professional success Geeta is also an activist and passionate about environment and empowering women.

The event was well attended and a great success as women from diverse backgrounds came together for an afternoon of productive networking, sharing, learning and empowering each other.

Geeta shared her amazing career trajectory from being an IAS officer in India and moving to the United States after marraige on an H-4 visa and not being able work, thereafter being the second Indian women to complete her MBA at Harvard Business School in the early 80s and obtaining a CFA qualification and working in the financial industry before starting her own company Walden Capital Management and in 2003 founding her current company, Boston Common Asset Mangement.

Hanishi Ali, founder of NetSAW said Geeta’s can-do attitude and awe inspiring story from starting her career ground up, while being a single mother, and learning the entrepreneurial skills along the way was truly empowering and motivating to participants. Geeta talked about being Asian American and raising her daughters with pride, learning to manage the work life balance and having empathy, passion, courage as important characteristics to possess along with the importance of staying true to your identity as you navigate up the career path.

NetSAW is a non-profit, volunteer based organization whose goal is to connect professional women and provide them career tools and skills for the workplace through workshops, panel discussion, seminars, partner events, and inviting professional and entrepreneurial women to share their career path.

To Join NetSAW and for more information about the Network of South Asian Women, visit www.netsaw.com.

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